Getting Online with Nintendo DS / DS Lite / DSi / 3DS in 2024

It depends entirely on the model:

Original DS / DS Lite (2004–2006)

• No Wi-Fi Hardware. They only supported Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection (WFC) via a proprietary protocol for specific games (Mario Kart DS, Pokémon Diamond/Pearl).
• WFC Shut Down: May 20, 2014. Official online is dead.
• Revive via Wiimmfi: Change DNS to 95.217.77.151 (or auto-config via wiimmfi.de) to restore online for supported games.

DSi / DSi XL (2009)

• Built-in 802.11b/g Wi-Fi. Connects to modern WPA2-PSK (AES) routers.
• DSi Browser (Opera): Slow, no modern JS/CSS support. Most sites fail.
• DSi Shop: Shut down March 31, 2017. No new purchases.
• Wiimmfi: Works for DSiWare/DS games online.

3DS / 2DS / New 3DS (2011+)

• Full 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi. Modern browser (NetFront), eShop (closed March 2023), friend lists, StreetPass.
• Best Option: Use a 3DS family system for any online activity today.

Note: No DS family device supports wired Ethernet or 5GHz Wi-Fi.