Hacking Question I'm still unsure of if Atmosphere serial/prodinfo blanking actually protects against bans

[Worldblender]

For almost the entire time I've been using an emuMMC with Atmosphere CFW, I have turned on the options to enable prodinfo blanking. It works on my Switch unit's end, showing XAW with 11 zeroes. After performing a console initialization without deleting save data from maintenance mode (of a failed attempt to direct my focus on job searching), it gave me an opportunity to play around with testing internet connections, despite knowing that traces of NSP installations have probably not been wiped. I haven't upgraded the emuMMC firmware version from 11.0.1 to 12.0.0 yet, since it seems to not bring me anything useful.
I want to use some internet features, but I don't require access to the Nintendo online services, including:

• Internet clock synchronization
• Web access when performed with certain homebrew (web applet from Goldleaf 0.9)
• (recently discovered) LAN play with other people with https://gbatemp.net/threads/ldn_mitm-play-local-wireless-supported-games-online.525512/

Unfortunately, I'm not sure if I have acted a little too late in enabling protections so that my Switch unit doesn't get banned. Prior to this initialization, I've only used Atmosphere's built-in serial blanking. After using an ethernet connection and testing it, I also began using 90DNS for extra protection. See, I've read somewhere that it's possible that the real serial number can be cached somewhere (but I don't know where). However, I think that it may be working (I get 2155-8007, 2137-8007 or a similar error whenever I try a connection to Nintendo servers), and I actually had it work before, before I decided to do NSP installations. I might have began using 90DNS too late, I worry.

But now, I think I became too paranoid about what will happen to access to online services for my Switch unit, especially that I don't want to go through the hassle of sending a payload after I reboot to OFW again. As of this writing, OFW is also not updated yet (still on 11.0.1), so I will be faced with update nags, and once I upgrade, it may also be possible the the gamecard reader firmware will also be updated, preventing me from using gamecards should I not upgrade the emuMMC firmware version (so much trouble to deal with if I choose to upgrade! )

Here comes some big questions after all that I did so far:

• Is enabling only Atmosphere's serial/prodinfo blanking enough to protect me from getting banned (this only lasted for a few minutes, but telemetry could've already been sent the moment I established an internet connection), or will that lead to an eventual ban, no matter how long that takes?
• For those who only did the above, have there been any reports of bans with only that serial/prodinfo blanking enabled?
• Is there a way I can check outside of OFW to see if my Switch unit is banned or not?
• What actually happens when Switch units with blanked serial numbers communicate with Nintendo servers? If connections are refused because of the blank serial numbers, without sending anything else (telemetry and error logs included), the better. If other things are sent before then, I have good reason to worry.

Should I find out later that my Switch unit is banned, I may be unable to download future system updates, and I will be unable to download game updates, both legitimately. This ban may also reduce the value of my unit, meaning that I could earn less money than the $250 I got it for (along with a bunch of accessories) if it comes time for me to sell it. While I have an older sister who also has her own Switch unit, that one is invulnerable to the RCM exploit.
Should I learn that my Switch unit won't be banned with all the protective actions I took, I'll be glad to know that I was worrying for nothing, and that my paranoia was unnecessary.

 

[mrgone]

there is no protection against bans

 

[thaikhoa]

No
No
No
Nobody knows

 

[urherenow]

I keep a clean sd card for connecting to the eshop with OFW. Just did it yesterday, in fact, to update my OFW, and browsed the eshop and grabbed the free teaser thing of Pacman 99. Still not banned. Launch day switch, day 1 SXOS user, and day 1 Atmosphere user.

If it is banned, however, you still have daybreak and such, so you can still update. It's kind of retarded, really. If you get banned for using homebrew, you are FORCED TO PIRATE. Good thinking, Nintendo. Dumbasses.

 

[BaamAlex]

but telemetry could've already been sent the moment I established an internet connection

Telemetry can't be sent because atmosphere redirects all the errors to the sd.

 

[Worldblender]

Today, I booted OFW from Hekate using the 'Stock' option, and thankfully I can still connect to the Nintendo servers with my Switch unit (I tested linking a Nintendo Account and firmware updates). However, the update for 12.0.0 has been downloaded, but not yet installed. No signs of anything bad happened yet, so yeah, I haven't been banned yet as of this post.

 

[Hayato213]

No protection against ban, it just change your serial # from like XAW1234567890 to XAW0000000000, so your switch certificate isn't recognizeable so you can't connect to Nintendo server.

 

[Worldblender]

No protection against ban, it just change your serial # from like XAW1234567890 to XAW0000000000, so your switch certificate isn't recognizeable so you can't connect to Nintendo server.

Thank you, that's what I was trying to describe. I was just using the wrong terms then.

 

[Draxzelex]

For almost the entire time I've been using an emuMMC with Atmosphere CFW, I have turned on the options to enable prodinfo blanking. It works on my Switch unit's end, showing XAW with 11 zeroes. After performing a console initialization without deleting save data from maintenance mode (of a failed attempt to direct my focus on job searching), it gave me an opportunity to play around with testing internet connections, despite knowing that traces of NSP installations have probably not been wiped. I haven't upgraded the emuMMC firmware version from 11.0.1 to 12.0.0 yet, since it seems to not bring me anything useful.
I want to use some internet features, but I don't require access to the Nintendo online services, including:

• Internet clock synchronization
• Web access when performed with certain homebrew (web applet from Goldleaf 0.9)
• (recently discovered) LAN play with other people with https://gbatemp.net/threads/ldn_mitm-play-local-wireless-supported-games-online.525512/

Unfortunately, I'm not sure if I have acted a little too late in enabling protections so that my Switch unit doesn't get banned. Prior to this initialization, I've only used Atmosphere's built-in serial blanking. After using an ethernet connection and testing it, I also began using 90DNS for extra protection. See, I've read somewhere that it's possible that the real serial number can be cached somewhere (but I don't know where). However, I think that it may be working (I get 2155-8007, 2137-8007 or a similar error whenever I try a connection to Nintendo servers), and I actually had it work before, before I decided to do NSP installations. I might have began using 90DNS too late, I worry.

But now, I think I became too paranoid about what will happen to access to online services for my Switch unit, especially that I don't want to go through the hassle of sending a payload after I reboot to OFW again. As of this writing, OFW is also not updated yet (still on 11.0.1), so I will be faced with update nags, and once I upgrade, it may also be possible the the gamecard reader firmware will also be updated, preventing me from using gamecards should I not upgrade the emuMMC firmware version (so much trouble to deal with if I choose to upgrade! )

Here comes some big questions after all that I did so far:

• Is enabling only Atmosphere's serial/prodinfo blanking enough to protect me from getting banned (this only lasted for a few minutes, but telemetry could've already been sent the moment I established an internet connection), or will that lead to an eventual ban, no matter how long that takes?
• For those who only did the above, have there been any reports of bans with only that serial/prodinfo blanking enabled?
• Is there a way I can check outside of OFW to see if my Switch unit is banned or not?
• What actually happens when Switch units with blanked serial numbers communicate with Nintendo servers? If connections are refused because of the blank serial numbers, without sending anything else (telemetry and error logs included), the better. If other things are sent before then, I have good reason to worry.

Should I find out later that my Switch unit is banned, I may be unable to download future system updates, and I will be unable to download game updates, both legitimately. This ban may also reduce the value of my unit, meaning that I could earn less money than the $250 I got it for (along with a bunch of accessories) if it comes time for me to sell it. While I have an older sister who also has her own Switch unit, that one is invulnerable to the RCM exploit.
Should I learn that my Switch unit won't be banned with all the protective actions I took, I'll be glad to know that I was worrying for nothing, and that my paranoia was unnecessary.

• No because any information sent before cannot be reversed and would already be saved on Nintendo's servers therefore an eventual ban is the reality of the situation
• Maybe not in the extremely specific scenario that you described but there have been people banned for less innocuous actions
• This is practically impossible. Even if you were to devise a way to check if you were not banned without going online, that implies going online would risk getting you banned. Therefore in the event that you were to found out you were not banned. you would risk getting banned by going online anyway
• Not everything is wiped which is why it has not become the scene standard

 

[Worldblender]

• No because any information sent before cannot be reversed and would already be saved on Nintendo's servers therefore an eventual ban is the reality of the situation
• Maybe not in the extremely specific scenario that you described but there have been people banned for less innocuous actions
• This is practically impossible. Even if you were to devise a way to check if you were not banned without going online, that implies going online would risk getting you banned. Therefore in the event that you were to found out you were not banned. you would risk getting banned by going online anyway
• Not everything is wiped which is why it has not become the scene standard

Yeah, I knew that. Thankfully, I enabled all of these measures before installing any NSP files, so I have high confidence that my unit remains unbanned (or may take a long time to be banned).

 

[Draxzelex]

Yeah, I knew that. Thankfully, I enabled all of these measures before installing any NSP files, so I have high confidence that my unit remains unbanned (or may take a long time to be banned).

Just keep in mind that Nintendo traditionally bans in waves and there hasn't been a banwave in months if not years.

 

[Smythius]

No protection against ban, it just change your serial # from like XAW1234567890 to XAW0000000000, so your switch certificate isn't recognizeable so you can't connect to Nintendo server.

Any ideas how to change it back from XAW0000000000 to my actual serial? I accidently wiped the sys one on accident but have a backup I believe. It's called "XAW1005742XXXX_PRODINFO.bin" but won't restore in Incognito_RCM... can this be used and does it need to be renamed?

 

[Draxzelex]

Any ideas how to change it back from XAW0000000000 to my actual serial? I accidently wiped the sys one on accident but have a backup I believe. It's called "XAW1005742XXXX_PRODINFO.bin" but won't restore in Incognito_RCM... can this be used and does it need to be renamed?

Yes but next time, you should be using 90DNS or dns.mitm.

 

[JayBae]

• Is enabling only Atmosphere's serial/prodinfo blanking enough to protect me from getting banned.

TBH, My opinion, Blanking them will just draw more attention to your switch, cause you'd show up weird on Nintendo servers and stick out. be like wearing a clown outfit in a battle zone.

EDIT: Also did not realize this post was dead AF, sorry bout that. lol