My problem is that I can only access the internet through a VPN, I have a Windows 10 laptop using a vpn and an iPhone.

Googling the problem brings up this link which states that downloading via a PC should be possible but the eshop website doesn't show this as an option.

I've also attempted to use the tablet or iPhone as a router for the 3DS but seeing as I can only access the internet through wifi this does not work either.

I feel like there's a simple solution to this problem but I must be missing something, any ideas?

You may be able to use Windows ICS (Internet Connection Sharing) to set up your PC as a host and then connect your 3DS to it via WiFi. You will need two discrete network connections for this to work, though. So if you only have one WiFi adapter on your PC and are using that to connect to your router and then to the internet, you would need another WiFi adapter to share the connection after setting up ICS. If you can use ethernet to connect your laptop to the router, then you could use the laptop's WiFi adapter to share the connection.

Alternatively, if you have admin access to the router, you could set up the VPN there and then just connect devices to it normally without setting up the VPN on everything separately.

Failing that, can you just drop into a Starbucks or a McDonalds or something and use their Wifi for a few minutes?

@mike:That sounds interesting but my tablet, ( a surface 3 ) only has the one wifi adapter. Is there such a thing as an external usb wifi adaptor? Unfortunately I can't get physical access to the router and I don't have an ethernet port anyway. Setting up a VPN on the router is a good idea and I'll enquire about that.

I have a macbook with me as well so I do actually have two wifi adaptors available but I can't think of a way to make that work.

I did have an idea using the iphone to connect to the wifi, connect the macbook via usb to the iphone and share the connection macbook to 3DS wirelessly, however I can't get this to work either.

@shaunage: Unfortunately not, using public wifi without a VPN is not an option. Thanks though

@burt: I don't know anything about Surface tablets. I'm sure it's something you can research and figure out on your own, though.

@burt: There are external USB wifi adapters. They are pretty common for desktops that don't have built-in wifi or old laptops that have slow wifi. I think you could get a cheap one for under $50 (maybe a lot less). Whether or not that would allow you to do what Mike is suggesting, I'm not sure, but it seems worth looking into. It should work, but the 3DS is not exactly a beacon of internet technology.

@burt: Hey Burt. There's an official Microsoft USB network adapter. They're like $30. You can use any generic USB adapter, though.

You can use ICS sharing to share out your WIFI. Although, I'm pretty sure it's setup as WPA2 encryption. Some Nintendo handhelds don't support that.

@zelyre: I think it was only the original DS that didn't support WPA2. I think the DSi could connect to WPA2, but for some reason most games were coded assuming you had a regular DS and couldn't access WPA2, so all the DSi could do with WPA2 was like, browse the internet and eShop, not multiplayer. It was weird.

The 3DS works with all common wireless standards, as far as I'm aware.

@zelyre:

I've kind of given up on the idea at the moment, I had a look in the local electronics shop for an adaptor but no joy.

You would of thought with the plethora of wifi capable devices I own there would of been some way but I've got a decent steam library to fall back on.I guess that new Fire Emblem will have to wait. Thanks for the suggestion though.

If you have custom firmware, yes!

@burt: external USB wifi adapters exist. I use one that cost like 9 dollars on amazon on my home pc. And it pretty dang good.