iPhone Contacting the iPhone software update server... (5.1 related)

[k3roro]

Didn't want to change DNS, gave up, went back to parent's house for Wi-Fi, everything works now.

 

[elderstu7]

Thanks for the 8.8.8.8

This worked like a charm for me . Thanks in a major way.

 

[notjustjay]

I'm having the same problems as everyone else, and can't update my phone or my Apple TV. Located in Ottawa, Canada.

Grrr!

 

[dragonfly3571]

"contacting the iphone software update server" doesn't seem to be working

Ok for the benefit of anyone googling for it this is the step by step process i've just used for OS X Lion

1. Open system preferences,
2. Click on Network
3. Highlight WIFI (should be at the top of the list) and click ADVANCED on the bottom right)
4. Go to the DNS tab and make a note of your current DNS Server in case you want to change it back
5. Click the + button and type 8.8.8.8
6. Click OK
7. Click Apply
8. Try and download the software again.

This did not work for me....hmmm any other ideas?

 

[13thKid]

It's definitely a DNS issue.

This is what I did to work around it....

My DNS setting is 192.168.1.1 which is my DSL modem. I changed it to Google's DNS server at 8.8.8.8.

When I did this, the message "Contacting the iPad...." immediately went away and it started to download.

Hope this helps!!!

This did the trick for me. Thanks!

 

[LyndaP]

Ok for the benefit of anyone googling for it this is the step by step process i've just used for OS X Lion

1. Open system preferences,
2. Click on Network
3. Highlight WIFI (should be at the top of the list) and click ADVANCED on the bottom right)
4. Go to the DNS tab and make a note of your current DNS Server in case you want to change it back
5. Click the + button and type 8.8.8.8
6. Click OK
7. Click Apply
8. Try and download the software again.

Didn't work for me, either. Guess it's time to contact Apple. Sigh...

 

[ooninay]

Ok for the benefit of anyone googling for it this is the step by step process i've just used for OS X Lion

1. Open system preferences,
2. Click on Network
3. Highlight WIFI (should be at the top of the list) and click ADVANCED on the bottom right)
4. Go to the DNS tab and make a note of your current DNS Server in case you want to change it back
5. Click the + button and type 8.8.8.8
6. Click OK
7. Click Apply
8. Try and download the software again.

This worked immediately for me and I had been trying several times a day both OTA and through iTunes since the update came out. Thanks!!

 

[stibe]

Problem solved

It is a DNS issue
changing your DNS server or adding the following to your host file will resolve the issue

64.212.44.80 appldnld.apple.com

Thanks for this tip. It resolved the problem I had with updating iPhone to 5.1. Surprisingly BEFORE I added the above line to hosts file, iTunes was able to update my iPad to 5.1. Strange times, but resolved.

For Snow Leopard this site helps with editing hosts file: http://www.dotresults.com/2009/10/27/how-to-edit-the-hosts-file-mac-os-x-snow-leopard/

keywords: contacting the iphone software update server 5.1

 

[Fujiko7]

Ok for the benefit of anyone googling for it this is the step by step process i've just used for OS X Lion

1. Open system preferences,
2. Click on Network
3. Highlight WIFI (should be at the top of the list) and click ADVANCED on the bottom right)
4. Go to the DNS tab and make a note of your current DNS Server in case you want to change it back
5. Click the + button and type 8.8.8.8
6. Click OK
7. Click Apply
8. Try and download the software again.

This worked perfectly for me. Many thanks!

 

[cozlarry]

IPhone 4s software update instructions

I have an IPhone 4s and could not get it to do the software update.
Using the above information, supplied by others, I successfully did the download and verfication!

These are my steps:

On the IPhone:
1. Go to SETTINGS
2. Go to Wifi
3. Open your current Wifi screen (which should be checkmarked)
4. Scroll down to the DNS
5. Record the numbers so that you can replace them after the download
6. Change the numbers to 8.8.8.8
7. Exit out of SETTINGS by hitting RETURN on the screen keyboard
8. HIT the HOME button
9. Go back into SETTINGS
10. Go into "General"
11. Choose SOFTWARE UPDATE and you SHOULD GET THE UPDATE!
12. After the update & verfication, the IPhone will reboot and finish installing
13. Finally, remember to go back into SETTINGS - WIFI - and replace the DNS numbers you originally started with.

I hope this helps someone else!

-Larry

 

[dashford]

This is the solution

Ok for the benefit of anyone googling for it this is the step by step process i've just used for OS X Lion

1. Open system preferences,
2. Click on Network
3. Highlight WIFI (should be at the top of the list) and click ADVANCED on the bottom right)
4. Go to the DNS tab and make a note of your current DNS Server in case you want to change it back
5. Click the + button and type 8.8.8.8
6. Click OK
7. Click Apply
8. Try and download the software again.

This is most definitely the correct workaround. It even worked for me (in Dubai) using ethernet instead of wifi. Thank you!

 

[Mot72]

Got stuck while downloading iOS 5.1 on iphone4

I update my iphone 4 to iOS5.1 using setting/upgrade, when it comes to downloading it just got stuck on that downloading screen since yesterday. I notice there is no dash circle running around on the top right. I change the DNS to 8.8.8.8, that screen still remains. Pls help!