Trouble restoring unlocked 3GS - At wit's end

[wmmf]

Not important to you but the potential owner might like to have the GPS function on his new iphone.
Either way not sure if you could get more money unlocked or sold stock as is and then the owner can pick what they want to do with it.
After the ipad bb is installed using redsnow then you open cydia and install ultrasnow to unlock.

Well, the funny thing is that being in Costa Rica, not only do the streets literally not have names or numbers for a GPS to function with, the mobile internet speeds are so slow that trying to do use GPS can be incredibly laggy. That's why, for resell purposes, an already-unlocked phone trumps almost every other factor.
Thanks for the advice on redsn0w. It sounds like that program on its own will take care of everything else (BB and unlock) once I run it, right?
Although, AJ, you have got me thinking about sitting on the phone for a while to see if the hopefully-forthcoming iOS5 untethered jb will allow me to sell the phone in even better condition. Is that a possibility, or does my new baseband (5.14) condemn me forever to a lesser option?

 

[Applejuiced]

Well, the funny thing is that being in Costa Rica, not only do the streets literally not have names or numbers for a GPS to function with, the mobile internet speeds are so slow that trying to do use GPS can be incredibly laggy. That's why, for resell purposes, an already-unlocked phone trumps almost every other factor.
Thanks for the advice on redsn0w. It sounds like that program on its own will take care of everything else (BB and unlock) once I run it, right?
Although, AJ, you have got me thinking about sitting on the phone for a while to see if the hopefully-forthcoming iOS5 untethered jb will allow me to sell the phone in even better condition. Is that a possibility, or does my new baseband (5.14) condemn me forever to a lesser option?

Yes, you could sell it with an untethered JB when released down the road so the buyer doesnt get stuck if their phone shuts off or battery dies. Then they will have to tether boot each time. If they dont know they'll think the phone died.
Up to you.

 

[wmmf]

Well, in this country signal can go in and out so much that if things were reversed, I'd hate to be the guy who buys a tethered-jb phone.
So you're saying that, even with my 5.14 bb, the expected program coming down the pipe from DevTeam/whoever will allow me to do an untethered jailbreak and unlock? If that's the case, then I'll keep the phone for now and wait for further news.
Thanks again; this answer should be the end of it...

 

[nebo1ss]

Yes, Apple, I understand the depth of my errors. Trust me, I try to be the "good" kind of inquirer, one who reads a lot before even asking. Somewhere I just skipped a step...
The good thing is, this is no longer my primary phone, just one I was trying to update for resale purposes. Plus, the features that the iPad baseband removes aren't key ones where I live; what's important is the unlock.
So I'm confused by Crystal and nebo's advice, which seem contradictory as to what program will allow me to have an unlock. After the iPad baseband upgrade, is it Redsnow or Ultrasnow that I use?
Thanks for your continued help...

I think you mis-understood my advice/ You use Redsn0w to install the ipad baseband then you use Ultrasn0w to unlock.

 

[wmmf]

I think you mis-understood my advice/ You use Redsn0w to install the ipad baseband then you use Ultrasn0w to unlock.

Thanks, nebo, I understand now. If I go down that road, what's the highest iOS version I can get to, or does Redsn0w take care of that?

 

[nebo1ss]

Thanks, nebo, I understand now. If I go down that road, what's the highest iOS version I can get to, or does Redsn0w take care of that?

Even with redsn0w you still need SHSH to install any version of firmware other than that currently being signed and only for the 3gS version 4.1. if you are going to sell you might as well stay at 4.1 and put the Ipad baseband on there.

 

[wmmf]

Solved

Just a follow-up message to close the thread. After mistakenly pointing to a stock ipsw and upgrading my baseband to 5.14, I was advised to to rejailbreak and unlock using redsn0w and ultrasn0w. I was pleasantly surprised how the latest redsn0w already brings everything to the table for jailbreaking. I didn't have to open iTunes at all. So, thanks to all who helped; this is a good forum.