Hacking CFW vs. Gateway?

Suthek · Jan 11, 2016

I feel like this should already exist as a debate somewhere but I couldn't find everything through searches. Sorry in advance if this has been beaten to death.

I bought a gateway like a year ago and have been using it with my N3DS since the N3DS' release.
Back then, CFW was just a sparkle in someone's eye. nothing really going on. Just clean CFW that couldn't do any homebrew.

Now, the CFW world seems to be much stronger.

So I have some quick questions.

#1 After a CFW is installed, is it as "turn key" as a gateway setup?
Like, install Cia's via bigbluemenu? etc.

No tinkering or anything like that? Patching the cia's?
I like how gateway is just "install" and done. Very simple.

Trying to decide if I should transition away from my gateway so I don't need to lug this silly gateway cart around with me. (which I pretty much only use to load emunand so I can do CIA stuff... I don't do cart game loading.)

#2 Can I get my N3DS to spoof to "Nand 10.3" or "Emunand 10.3"so I can do Eshop and/or at least get the update nag to go away?

I think those are my two key gripes with the N3DS with gateway. (not O3DS)

Xenon Hacks · Jan 11, 2016

Use Both
#1 Emunand is not exclusive if you need to load a 3DS rom or App from the red card or use exclusive features like cheat/ram dumping you can and more in the future.

#2 You have a Gateway card so your life will be much easier. Emunand for the time being is limited to 9.5.0-23 but this is a non issue since there are fixes.
http://gbatemp.net/threads/tutorial-how-to-access-nnid-and-eshop-on-9-5-0-23-emunand.407714/
http://gbatemp.net/threads/tutorial-how-to-update-emunand-on-a-n3ds.393701/

Suthek · Jan 11, 2016

Xenon Hacks said:
Use Both
#1 Emunand is not exclusive if you need to load a 3DS rom or App from the red card or use exclusive features like cheat/ram dumping you can and more in the future.

#2 You have a Gateway card so your life will be much easier. Emunand for the time being is limited to 9.5.0-23 but this is a non issue since there are fixes.
http://gbatemp.net/threads/tutorial-how-to-access-nnid-and-eshop-on-9-5-0-23-emunand.407714/
http://gbatemp.net/threads/tutorial-how-to-update-emunand-on-a-n3ds.393701/

Good afternoon,
Thanks for the quick response.
I'm aware of the rom support I'd lose. But I don't use Rom's. I only use CIA's.
So I suppose my questions where more from a cia perspective. I'll rephrase them a bit.

#1 can the latest CFW's just install CIA's as easily as I can with a gateway?
(Maybe to an emunand installed over the CFW...
if I need an emunand...
I'd rather not have an emunand...
Can I install a CFW that does everything?
Or do I need to have an emunand?)

#2 Does the CFW pretend to be 10.3 so that it doesn't update nag? I know I can block the DNS addresses for the update servers and stuff... and I've done that... but I'd rather just have a machine that just works without being paranoid I'll accidentally press update.

Xenon Hacks · Jan 11, 2016

Suthek said:
Good afternoon,
Thanks for the quick response.
I'm aware of the rom support I'd lose. But I don't use Rom's. I only use CIA's.
So I suppose my questions where more from a cia perspective. I'll rephrase them a bit.

#1 can the latest CFW's just install CIA's as easily as I can with a gateway?
(Maybe to an emunand installed over the CFW...
if I need an emunand...
I'd rather not have an emunand...
Can I install a CFW that does everything?
Or do I need to have an emunand?)

#2 Does the CFW pretend to be 10.3 so that it doesn't update nag? I know I can block the DNS addresses for the update servers and stuff... and I've done that... but I'd rather just have a machine that just works without being paranoid I'll accidentally press update.

If you dont use Emunand you risk bricking the best thing you can do is load rxTools or Gateway using HBL.

No you still get the nag in Emunand and let's say you do update your Emunand by accident you can just write a backup you made with Emunand tool.

Suthek · Jan 11, 2016

Xenon Hacks said:
If you dont use Emunand you risk bricking the best thing you can do is load rxTools or Gateway using HBL.

No you still get the nag in Emunand and let's say you do update your Emunand by accident you can just write a backup you made with Emunand tool.

So I can install rxtools CFW and that will boot my emunand without needing the gateway card?

And then I'm in a emunand that works exactly how my current emunand works? with cia installs and stuff?
But it's still stuck at 9.5 or older...

That pretty much sum it up?

the last CIA I downloaded had a text file that said something about not being patched for CFW. Not sure what that meant. Do I need to patch CIA's for them to work with a CFW Emunand? Do I have to do something more than what I currently do with my gateway?

Xenon Hacks · Jan 11, 2016

Suthek said:
So I can install rxtools CFW and that will boot my emunand without needing the gateway card?

And then I'm in a emunand that works exactly how my current emunand works? with cia installs and stuff?
But it's still stuck at 9.5 or older...

That pretty much sum it up?

the last CIA I downloaded had a text file that said something about not being patched for CFW. Not sure what that meant. Do I need to patch CIA's for them to work with a CFW Emunand? Do I have to do something more than what I currently do with my gateway?

Correct patching is old and no longer needed and both have exclusive features but Gateway is probably capable of doing more in the future.

Trust me unless your strapped for cash and your starving you will regret selling your Gateway card so much.

tony_2018 · Jan 11, 2016

Get CFW, sell the GW

The End

Suthek · Jan 11, 2016

tony_2018 said:
Get CFW, sell the GW

The End

And you'd also recommend RXtools on my N3DS over Pasta?
I saw mention RXtools is no longer supported? And that all source information was given to Pasta? Does that mean the latest Pasta is better than the now dated RXtools?

Xenon Hacks · Jan 11, 2016

Suthek said:
And you'd also recommend RXtools on my N3DS over Pasta?
I saw mention RXtools is no longer supported? And that all source information was given to Pasta? Does that mean the latest Pasta is better than the now dated RXtools?

He's messing with you, everyday this same thread pops up and it gets monotonous. Also rxTools is very active with nightly builds for download right now we are on 3.0 beta the best build for now is 12-5.

Suthek · Jan 12, 2016

Xenon Hacks said:
He's messing with you, everyday this same thread pops up and it gets monotonous. Also rxTools is very active with nightly builds for download right now we are on 3.0 beta the best build for now is 12-5.

Yea I figured it would be something often posted but it's not a sticky for some reason.
A clear comparison of CFW vs. GW vs. Sky3DS features sticky would make sense to me.

Would have thought there'd be a sticky of this sort of info so that it isn't posted daily by people who don't frequent the forums often.

*shrugs*

Regardless, thank you for your help.

tony_2018 · Jan 12, 2016

Whoever said that rxtools was dead needs go to back to school.

Ericzander · Jan 12, 2016

I have both. Had the Gateway way before CFW. If I were to choose today, I'd go right to CFW and that's what I use now. I use RxTools on both my old and new 3ds.

See, Gateway has it's perks such as being able to play games without installing them as .cia files. That can be useful, especially if you have a few games/apps that you don't want to take up space on your system. So if you already have the Gateway, don't regret your purchase. But for people who are thinking about buying it in 2016, don't.

Xenon Hacks · Jan 12, 2016

Suthek said:
And you'd also recommend RXtools on my N3DS over Pasta?
I saw mention RXtools is no longer supported? And that all source information was given to Pasta? Does that mean the latest Pasta is better than the now dated RXtools?

No pasta CFW is outdated and is no longer worked on and has been incorporated in rxTools already

Ericzander said:
I have both. Had the Gateway way before CFW. If I were to choose today, I'd go right to CFW and that's what I use now. I use RxTools on both my old and new 3ds.

See, Gateway has it's perks such as being able to play games without installing them as .cia files. That can be useful, especially if you have a few games/apps that you don't want to take up space on your system. So if you already have the Gateway, don't regret your purchase. But for people who are thinking about buying it in 2016, don't.

Not true Gateway will support 10.3.0-28 very soon and has perfect firmware spoofing , signature and region patching which other CFW's lack.

Uring · Jan 12, 2016

If you use cia then stick with cfw but I prefer gateway because I am lazy, backuping my saves is way more faster with gateway than with cfw. Also the spoofing method on games is great.

sterob · Jan 12, 2016

If money is not an issue then get both.

tony_2018 · Jan 12, 2016

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Suthek · Jan 12, 2016

Got the RXtools and everything installed. Looks like it behaves just like my GW (minus roms)
I don't like doing this whole "hold L" thing.
The links to the autolaunch files seem to be dead. Anyone have a new link for that file?

Xenon Hacks · Jan 12, 2016

Suthek said:
Got the RXtools and everything installed. Looks like it behaves just like my GW (minus roms)
I don't like doing this whole "hold L" thing.
The links to the autolaunch files seem to be dead. Anyone have a new link for that file?

http://gbatemp.net/threads/ctrbootmanager-3ds-boot-manager-loader-homemenuhax.398383/
You can set it to load the Gateway launcher on boot as well or hold a button to delay and select something else.

Hacking CFW vs. Gateway?

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