iPhone Help re-locking and unjailbreaking a 3GS

[shidara]

I just bought a used 3GS off ebay for my 9-year-old daughter to use as a glorified iPod touch. I had a stock 3GS for her but its battery began to swell, so it's not safe to use.

I bought the device knowing it was jailbroken, but was unaware that it had been unlocked to operate on T-Mobile, as evidenced by the T-Mobile SIM card it shipped with.

Here's what I'm experiencing:

The phone fires up just fine, holds a charge, and walks thorough setup up until it needs to be activated. Trying to activate through iTunes results in a "There is no SIM card installed in the iPhone you are attempting to activate." error. Trying to activate over WiFi results in the Phone being unable to find an authentication server.

I replaced the T-Mobile SIM with the AT&T SIM from my previous 3GS, but the errors continue.

I've reached out to the seller to try to uncover exactly what was done to the phone, but haven't heard anything back yet.

What steps do I need to take to get this phone to a state where I can have iTunes to a factory reset?

 

[Intell]

Put it into DFU mode (Google it) and restore it via iTunes with your old SIM card in it.

 

[shidara]

Put it into DFU mode (Google it) and restore it via iTunes with your old SIM card in it.

Recovering phone found and downloading a software update now - Thanks for the help!

Update:

Ugh, no dice.

Went into DFU mode three times, twice with the AT&T SIM and once with the TMobile SIM.

Phone still claims there's no SIM card installed.

Any other suggestions?

 

[cyber16]

You can also slide/wiggle the sim in & out a few times, try completely removing and then just a little
This would normally be used to get service back years ago.
Even back then once in awhile would have to toggle airplane mode on/off a few times, but then again, the service is not your issue now
But just maybe the sim card reader is acting up

 

[shidara]

I've tried wiggling, using tape to thicken the sim card, nothing seems to work.

The irony is that I don't care about the SIM - I just want to use it as an iPod Touch!

Could the jailbreak have bricked the phone somehow?

Any shady ways to activate it without a SIM card?

 

[Intell]

Once it is restored via iTunes it is no longer jailbroken. The jailbreak did not affect the activation. You could hacktivate it. I believe redsn0w can hacktivate that device.

 

[Carlanga]

If it came like that, there is a possibility that the sim pins are damaged by the previous owner.