iPhone 2G Unlock but not Jailbreak is possible?

[cy0n]

Hi i have recently bought my first ever iphone (2g - £70 Bargain, second hand) and was told its unlocked to any network.. GREAT! But have just found out when trying to connect to appstore that its jailbroken NOT SO GREAT..

Im really new to this jailbreaking thing and have been reading now for 2 days on many forums, though i cant find an answer to this question. I'm on T-mobile and cannot use my iphone unless unlocked, but i dont want to keep the jailbroken firmware as i cannot access the appstore.

I used pwnage and downloaded the correct official firmware release 2.2.1 (5h11) and also 3.0.1 (7A400) to try and restore the phone to its original state, but when i do i can only make emergency calls from the phone, and get error 11556 when trying to connect to iTunes store. I've read that this is due to the carrier being blocked.

Im in a predicament here because i dont really want to faff around with these types of settings or have the phone jailbroken, as the reason why i bought it was to use all he wonderful apps from the appstore which i am now unable to access.

If you have any help, resolutions or advice i'd really love to hear them. I just want a working phone!

Disheartened iphone owner... Cyon

 

[kmiranda]

I have both a 2G and a 3G both running firmware 3.1.2 and both jailbroken and on T-mobile. Both phones are able to access and download applications through the appstore as well as Cydia so it can definitely be done.

What error/problem are you running into when you attempt to access the appstore?

 

[thelatinist]

Jailbreaking doesn't prevent you from accessing the App Store or iTunes store. There must be something else causing that problem for you.

As for unlocking without jailbreaking, that's not possible. Jailbreaking is what allows you to execute code not approved by Apple on your phone.

My suggestion is that you restore your phone to the latest firmware and rejailbreak using either blackra1n or PwnageTool. Then install BootNeuter from Cydia to unlock your phone.

 

[Bungle73]

As for unlocking without jailbreaking, that's not possible.

It is if you get O2 to do it. All you need to do is request a free O2 PAYG SIM then apply to have the phone unlocked using that SIM's phone number (you need to top up by £15 because unlocking a PAYG phone costs £14.69). That's what I did. That would be better anyway, because it would be permanent and immune to any future updates.

Having said that though jail breaking shouldn't stop you from accessing the App Store.

 

[macdim]

You have to jailbreak once (1 time) to unlock. The 2G isn't getting any more baseband updates so you could jailbreak, unlock it, then restore the firmware in iTunes and it should remain unlocked. Since the Dev Team was able to manipulate the baseband with BootNeuter (I think), the unlock remains permanent unless you update the baseband, which Apple will most likely not do. After restoring in iTunes, your phone will be unjailbroken, but unlocked.

This doesn't work with the 3G/3GS because the unlock works in a different way (software exploit loaded every time the phone boots).

 

[Bungle73]

You have to jailbreak once (1 time) to unlock. The 2G isn't getting any more baseband updates so you could jailbreak, unlock it, then restore the firmware in iTunes and it should remain unlocked. Since the Dev Team was able to manipulate the baseband with BootNeuter (I think), the unlock remains permanent unless you update the baseband, which Apple will most likely not do. After restoring in iTunes, your phone will be unjailbroken, but unlocked.

This doesn't work with the 3G/3GS because the unlock works in a different way (software exploit loaded every time the phone boots).

I don't think that is correct. When my 2G iPhone was jail broken and unlocked every time I updated, or restored, the firmware I had to jail break and unlock again.

Just get O2 to do it.

 

[macdim]

I don't think that is correct. When my 2G iPhone was jail broken and unlocked every time I updated the firmware I had to jail break and unlock again.

Just get O2 to do it.

Hmm... maybe you're right. I'm pretty sure you can do it that way though... Unless something goes wrong because of hacktivation.

If O2 will do it cheap, go with them.

 

[MrBrekke]

Hmm... maybe you're right. I'm pretty sure you can do it that way though... Unless something goes wrong because of hacktivation.

If O2 will do it cheap, go with them.

you are wrong on that. hehe it need to be jailbroken to be unlocked. but the dev teams software will fix that easy. quickpwn or pawnage tool works perfect for the first iPhone. and readsn0w is the best there is for that.

any original update from iTunes will lock the phone.

 

[macdim]

you are wrong on that. hehe it need to be jailbroken to be unlocked. but the dev teams software will fix that easy. quickpwn or pawnage tool works perfect for the first iPhone. and readsn0w is the best there is for that.

any original update from iTunes will lock the phone.

Technically I am right. It is a long process, but it works. You need to get a copy of firmware 3.1.1 and use pwnage tool to make a jailbroken firmware. Restore the phone with that and you now have an unlocked, hacktivated and jailbroken phone. Then, get a copy of the latest 3.1.2 firmware and UPDATE the phone in iTunes. This should keep the unlock and hacktivation intact.

It works. I have done this.

 

[MrBrekke]

Technically I am right. It is a long process, but it works. You need to get a copy of firmware 3.1.1 and use pwnage tool to make a jailbroken firmware. Restore the phone with that and you now have an unlocked, hacktivated and jailbroken phone. Then, get a copy of the latest 3.1.2 firmware and UPDATE the phone in iTunes. This should keep the unlock and hacktivation intact.

It works. I have done this.

cool. i did not know that. thanks for new knowledge.

only use my first gen iPhone for developing and testing purpose.
Good to know.

Cheers

 

[Applejuiced]

Yes, I heard that bootneuter flashes the bootloader on the 2G's and many survive updates and restores having an unlocked 2G even though they're on official firmware.

Technically I am right. It is a long process, but it works. You need to get a copy of firmware 3.1.1 and use pwnage tool to make a jailbroken firmware. Restore the phone with that and you now have an unlocked, hacktivated and jailbroken phone. Then, get a copy of the latest 3.1.2 firmware and UPDATE the phone in iTunes. This should keep the unlock and hacktivation intact.

It works. I have done this.

 

[cy0n]

Hey Miranda, thanks for your words of encouragement and everyone else thats posted so far...

Well with regard to my connection to AppStore i get the "cannot connect to iTunes store" error whenever i click the icon.

The current firmware i have installed on the phone at present is version 2.2.1 (5H11) though i had the same error when i updated the firmware to 3.0.1.

When i try to access apps from Cydia i only have a small (relative) selection of apps to choose from. I try and add sources but keep getting a strange error about spazio.net? I also had teh installer app on the phone, but it never seemed to work as every time i'd start it up i received error "Forbidden 404"

Technically I am right. It is a long process, but it works. You need to get a copy of firmware 3.1.1 and use pwnage tool to make a jailbroken firmware. Restore the phone with that and you now have an unlocked, hacktivated and jailbroken phone. Then, get a copy of the latest 3.1.2 firmware and UPDATE the phone in iTunes. This should keep the unlock and hacktivation intact.

It works. I have done this.

Great though i'd like to ask, where can i get this 3.1.2 update? Do i download it via iTunes when is tells me there is a newer update available for my phone or should i dl it from another source so as not to "relock" the phone during the official update?

Also what is a baseband? I will google this for more info...

With all the different hacks available, blacksn0w, blackr4in, and a few others i've come across its hard to determine the correct one thats most suited to my particular device... if anyone can simply state the best one to use i will!

Thanks again to everyone for their help, im sure ill get this sorted thanks to your support

 

[cy0n]

Hmm... maybe you're right. I'm pretty sure you can do it that way though... Unless something goes wrong because of hacktivation.

If O2 will do it cheap, go with them.

I don't think i can get O2 to do it as i've never had a contract with them. If i'm wrong then wouldn't i need to hide the fact i've tried jailbreaking the phone?

 

[Bungle73]

I don't think i can get O2 to do it as i've never had a contract with them. If i'm wrong then wouldn't i need to hide the fact i've tried jailbreaking the phone?

You don't need to have a contract with them, you just need to request a free PAYG SIM and then use its number to request an unlock. As long as the phone was originally an O2 phone then you should be fine. Unlocking a PAYG phone costs £14.69, so you'd need to top it up first.

I've never been an O2 customer and that's what I did.

http://freesim.o2.co.uk/

http://shop.o2.co.uk/update/unlockmyiphone.html

 

[cy0n]

Technically I am right. It is a long process, but it works. You need to get a copy of firmware 3.1.1 and use pwnage tool to make a jailbroken firmware. Restore the phone with that and you now have an unlocked, hacktivated and jailbroken phone. Then, get a copy of the latest 3.1.2 firmware and UPDATE the phone in iTunes. This should keep the unlock and hacktivation intact.

It works. I have done this.

I have tried to use this firmware as you state above (i can't seem to find 3.1.1 for 2G iphone so this was best possible match?)

http://www.iphonefirmware.com/firmwares-download/iphone2g-os-3-1/

When i try to compile my own custom ipsw using pwnage, it comes back "wrong firmware bundle selected".

Ill keep looking for exactly the 3.1.1 firmware u mention above...

 

[thelatinist]

I have tried to use this firmware as you state above (i can't seem to find 3.1.1 for 2G iphone so this was best possible match?)

http://www.iphonefirmware.com/firmwares-download/iphone2g-os-3-1/

When i try to compile my own custom ipsw using pwnage, it comes back "wrong firmware bundle selected".

Ill keep looking for exactly the 3.1.1 firmware u mention above...

You're using the 3.1 firmware. You need to use 3.1.2. You can download it here: iPhone1,1_3.1.2_7D11_Restore.ipsw

 

[cy0n]

You're using the 3.1 firmware. You need to use 3.1.2. You can download it here: iPhone1,1_3.1.2_7D11_Restore.ipsw

I've downloaded the ipsw from the link you provided and the exact same error message comes up: "wrong firmware bundle..."?

The reason why i downloaded 3.1 is as advised by macdim on his/her earlier post, but i cannot find this elusive 3.1.1 firmware on the web! Any other thoughts?

 

[macdim]

I've downloaded the ipsw from the link you provided and the exact same error message comes up: "wrong firmware bundle..."?

The reason why i downloaded 3.1 is as advised by macdim on his/her earlier post, but i cannot find this elusive 3.1.1 firmware on the web! Any other thoughts?

Yes, sorry that was my fault. There was no 3.1.1 for iPhone. I think it was an iPod Touch firmware only and they skipped 3.1.1 for iPhone and went to 3.1.2 to bring both platforms to the same number.

I believe you should download 3.1 for iPhone 2G , then download Pwnage Tool 3.1.3 and use it to modify the firmware you just downloaded (3.1) and tell Pwnage Tool to unlock and hackivate the phone. Once that's done, put your phone into DFU mode like Pwnage Tool instructs you to, and install this firmware using iTunes (alt-restore and choose your modified firmware that you saved with Pwnage Tool). Once this is complete, reboot the phone and you should have your network connecting and the phone working, but jailbroken.

Don't bother syncing the phone just yet. In iTunes, click on "Update" on the iPhone screen (NOT restore), and iTunes should tell you a new firmware is out and you should install it. Let iTunes download and install the newest firmware and update the phone. If all goes well you should have a phone that remains unlocked, activated and unjailbroken.

Hope this helps

 

[cy0n]

Hey macdim, i followed your instructions step by step and everything occurred as you said it would... however i am back to square one.

The phone will only allow me to make emergency calls and i receive the error 11556 in itunes. You do mention:

I believe you should download 3.1 for iPhone 2G , then download Pwnage Tool 3.1.3 and use it to modify the firmware you just downloaded (3.1) and tell Pwnage Tool to unlock and hackivate the phone.

Which settings do i select to unlock the phone? I left them at their default values as they seemed to make sense to me that way. Also you go on to mention:

Let iTunes download and install the newest firmware and update the phone. If all goes well you should have a phone that remains unlocked, activated and unjailbroken.

How can the phone remain unjailbroken if i use the pwnage tool to jailbreak it? Or did the update i activated within iTunes reset the phone to its unjailbroken state? This is probably the case as once i updated initially using my custom firmware (before the itunes update) i was able to access the desktop (springboard) and although i didnt try, am quite sure i could have made phonecalls!

Any other ideas... i know this is annoying, i apologise?

Whatever the case may be, the phone is still not working as i mention above, its showing a t-mobile sign next to the signal level indicator but i can only make emergency calls and cannot access the desktop...

 

[cy0n]

FYI: the bootneuter settings by default (that i have tried) are:

Neuter bootloader (checked)
Update bootloader (unchecked)

Upgrade to 4.6 (greyed radio button but checked)
Downgrade to 3.9 (greyed radio button but unchecked)

Unlock baseband (checked)
Auto delete Bootneuter.app (checked)

 

[macdim]

Whatever the case may be, the phone is still not working as i mention above, its showing a t-mobile sign next to the signal level indicator but i can only make emergency calls and cannot access the desktop...

I'm not sure what to tell you. If you performed the steps I mentioned earlier, it should have worked. Just to be sure...

When modifying the firmware in Pwnage Tool you are selecting the 3.1 firmware you downloaded to modify it.

In the Pwnage Tool, use the simple mode and tell it where bootloader 3.9 and 4.6 files are.

When it asks you if you are a legit iPhone user, choose "No".

Install the firmware on the iPhone in DFU mode.

Let iTunes detect the phone now running 3.1.

On the iPhone screen in iTunes, choose "Check for Update".

Let iTunes install the latest firmware.

I have followed these steps before and they worked. If you did this before, I'm not sure what to tell you.


As an aside to this, I am just re-reading your original post in which you say that you are denied access to the App Store. I have never heard of this behaviour before. It seems to me that if you have an internet connection, you should be able to access the App Store. Are you sure you have a data connection to your phone? Does Safari work?

I have a feeling you've been following my steps without knowing what you want or why you want it.

Basically, you couldn't make phone calls before because your phone was not unlocked/activated. To use the phone and access the springboard, just get the latest firmware and modify it with the latest version of Pwnage Tool and unlock it like the first few steps in my previous instructions. Allow Pwnage Tool to hactivate the phone and unlock it using bootneuter. You can even choose not to install Cydia or Icy in the Pwnage Tool options. Having a jailbroken phone has nothing to do with not being able to access the App Store. After this is done, don't restore it in iTunes or you will lose your ability to use the phone.

 

[cy0n]

Thanks for the quick reply

I tend to work in expert mode (only because thats how i've learned to do it via tutorials). I haven't tried simple mode yet so i will give that a try...

I am 100% sure i create my custom ipsw using the firmware i retrieved from the link you pasted in your last post. The iphone is connected to my wifi network and i can view webpages, you tube, amazon etc...

My phone is currently updated to my custom firmware and in Settings > About it says version 3.1 (7C144)

But as always, i am unable to connect to the appstore it simply says "cannot connect to itunes store"...

I also fund that the apps in cydia are quite limited even though i have added a few custom sources...i dont even know what icy is but its on my desktop.

I can now connect to itunes and update (like you mention) but i know if i do, it'll just lock the phone again... ill try though and il also try the simple mode in pwnage if im unsuccessful... i'll post back my results, thanks again

 

[cy0n]

Ok so i have again followed each step to a T as explained by macdim, this time i used simple mode in pwnage tool to create the custom firmware. But...

In the Pwnage Tool, use the simple mode and tell it where bootloader 3.9 and 4.6 files are.

As quoted above, pwnage never asked me where the bootloader 3.9 and 4.6 files are as i used simple mode, only whether i had an official contract which i answered NO to.

I installed the firmware, updated in iTunes as it detected a newer firmware version 3.1.2. and now the phone is locked again, only being able to make emergency calls and not able to access the desktop.

Obviously i'm going round and round in circles, has anyone heard of iphones getting locked indefinately when updating to a specific firmware version? I think i read this somewhere on one of the many forums i've been browsing over the last couple of days...

But then, when i i update the phone using my customised firmware i am able to make calls and access the desktop, its just that i cannot access the AppStore or iTunesStore...

I'm stuck

 

[Bungle73]

Why don't you just follow my advice and get O2 to do it? Sure, it costs, but it would be a lot less hassle, and the unlock would be permanent.

I don't really understand the problem you're having accessing the App Store though. There must be something else wrong somewhere as jailbreaking shouldn't have that effect.

 

[cy0n]

Well of course yes i will as a last resort, but im a little unclear about a few things...

If i go the O2 route can i still use my same mobile number?

Also i seemed to be the only person whos having this AppStore problem and i'm thinking why, Why, WHY!

Its become a matter of principle and for a forum this may be a overlooked issue which should be brought to light, no?

I'm thinking of just replacing the case and buying a brand new iphone anyhow if this dont work as it needs a replacement speaker too and i never got headphones... so is it worth me paying anymore?

If i can sort it out then great if not i may just get shot of it...