iPhone 3G with un-activated AT&T sim.

[triptych]

Hi Everyone,

my first post here. I have been sent a brand new iPhone 3G from a friend in the US. Unfortunately, it needs activation upon turning it on (has an AT&T sim card), and I have no idea where to start. I don't even know what firmware it has. I've been searching the web and realise that I need to jailbreak it somehow, which will activate/unlock the phone to any sim, and allow me to use the iphone like an ipod essentially. Then I'm not sure what to what comes after that. I don't even know if this is 100% correct.

If anyone can offer me some tips to the coarse of action I should take given my iPhone's status, I would greatly appreciate it.

Cheers.

[xclusive]

hi
have you synced your iPhone with iTunes? Can you at least tell us what firmware (firmware 2 or 3) does it currently have. Without knowing that it'll be hard to show you a right direction.

cheers.

[triptych]

Firmware version 2.2.1


Sorry about that one. I can't update the firmware until I unlock/activate it.

Thanks for your help

[xclusive]

why? does iTunes not allow you to do that? If so then put your iPhone in DFU mode and I am sure iTunes will allow you to upgrade when it finds your iPhone putting it in DFU mode. If you don't know how to put your iPhone in DFU mode then watch the last video on this page: http://www.iphonewiki.com.au/unlocki...ing-iphone-3g/

Let us know how you go. It would be easier to jailbreak and unlock once you upgrade to iPhone OS 3.

[triptych]

Ok, I've updated the firmware to v3. Thanks for the tip. What would be the next best step if I'm on Windows and needing to unlock and jailbreak? I do know someone with a Mac if that will make it easier.

Cheers

[xclusive]

Originally Posted by triptych

Ok, I've updated the firmware to v3. Thanks for the tip. What would be the next best step if I'm on Windows and needing to unlock and jailbreak? I do know someone with a Mac if that will make it easier.

Cheers

It would be better and I think much easier if you use Mac to jailbreak/unlock your iPhone. So I'd suggest you to do it in a Mac. Just follow the instructions here: http://www.forums.iphonewiki.com.au/...procedure.html and you'll be on your way to jailbreak/unlock your iPhone. Let me know if you face any trouble.

[triptych]

Hey

thanks for the tip. Unfortunately, the AT&T sim that I have cannot be activated due to me not knowing the 'Social Security' and Zip code of the person who purchased the phone in the US. Therefore I can't get passed the 'Emergency Call' screen. Anyway, I'm going to buy a pre-paid 3G sim to test it out on and to hopefully activate it. Will/ should this work? Maybe a cheap Virgin one that I can play with before I choose a plan. I was hoping that I could use some of the phone's features without actually having a sim or 3G sim installed, but obviously not.

Cheers

[xclusive]

Originally Posted by triptych

Hey

thanks for the tip. Unfortunately, the AT&T sim that I have cannot be activated due to me not knowing the 'Social Security' and Zip code of the person who purchased the phone in the US. Therefore I can't get passed the 'Emergency Call' screen. Anyway, I'm going to buy a pre-paid 3G sim to test it out on and to hopefully activate it. Will/ should this work? Maybe a cheap Virgin one that I can play with before I choose a plan. I was hoping that I could use some of the phone's features without actually having a sim or 3G sim installed, but obviously not.

Cheers

Did you try putting it in DFU mode? didn't that work?

[triptych]

Putting it into DFU mode updated the firmware to OS 3.

[triptych]

Ok...so I've got it all working now. As you know, I updated my phone to the OS firmware by restoring the firmware manually, updating it from 2.2.1 to 3.0. My phone was still unactivated with an AT&T sim, and no other SIM would work at this point.

So next I tried redsn0w to unlock and jailbreak the iphone 3g. I even tried they're latest release (all via windows vista) and I wasn't at all successful. The next step was to try pwnageTools via mac to jailbreak and unlock it. This worked a treat. Very easy and clear steps, much like redsn0w. Finally, I installed the latest ultrasn0w and that also worked seamlessly, so now I can use any sim of my choice on the 3g.

thanks for your help, and I hope that this might help someone who is still trying to unlock unsuccessfully on windows to try pwning it on a mac!

Cheers,