is this the usb adapter that can only work when your pc's on?
No, it's supposed to wrok when it's off to. For some reason it's not.
i can't see how that is possible. since the usb adapter provides internet access to your ds via your pc's internet connection settings. if the pc's not on, how can it possibly route traffic? some pc's still power the usb bus as it's switched off, but there'll be no data connectivity provided to the adapter since the cpu's switched off..?