Resolved Yes, you can unlock an iPhone 3GS using iOS 5.1

[groove-agent]

Hey all, sorry if this has been covered a million times...

I just bought a jailbroken/ unlocked iPhone 3GS off eBay but unfortunately it is sitting at 4.2.1 with baseband 06.15.00.

Is it possible to update it to 5.1 and still have it jailbroken/unlocked? If so, what method would be used?

Thanks in advance.

[EDIT: To save people time from scrolling down and reading the entire thread, I'd like to summarize how I was able to unlock my iPhone 3GS @ iOS 5.1:

* Upgrade my already jailbroken/unlocked 3GS (@ iOS 4.2.1/ 6.15.00) to stock 5.1 using iTunes
* Use redsn0w to jailbreak, install cydia, reflash the baseband; tether reboot
* Use cydia to install the ultrasn0w 5.1 fixer; then use cydia to install ultrasn0w.]

 

[Kyotoma]

Check out iclarified.com for instructions on how to upgrade without the baseband and then unlock.

 

[PsstGreek]

Ultrasn0w doesn't support 5.1 yet, I believe.

 

[groove-agent]

Ultrasn0w doesn't support 5.1 yet, I believe.

Does anyone know for sure? I thought I was able to unlock my old 3gs with 5.1 using redsn0w. The problem with searching on the net is that information can change quickly so you don't know how current and accurate the information is.

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Check out iclarified.com for instructions on how to upgrade without the baseband and then unlock.

Couldn't i just upgrade to 5.1, jailbreak using redsn0w + reflash baseband since my iPhone already has the 6.15.00 baseband which I'm assuming is the iPad one?

The question is: Can I unlock 5.1 using Ultrasn0w on a 3gs with the ipad baseband?

I heard of rumors of an ultrasn0w fixer tool as well.

Information changes so quickly it's hard to know what is the latest news.

 

[Old Smuggler]

I dont think you can

 

[dhlizard]

Ultrasn0w does not yet work under 5.1

So it cannot unlock any device that is on 5.1 firmware

 

[groove-agent]

Wirelessly posted

Hmm ... I'm pretty sure I have done this on a 3GS and it worked. Unfortunately my 3GS was dropped and died. I remember I had just missed the U/G to 5.01 and was forced to unlock 5.1. It would be cool if someone could confirm or deny this as I may have been on crack lol.

 

[wanzer]

Ultrasn0w does not yet work under 5.1

So it cannot unlock any device that is on 5.1 firmware

There is a workaround for this.

If you are on 5.1 and a have an ultrasn0w compatible baseband:

1. Uninstall ultrasn0w if you have it already installed
2. Add repo.iparelhos.com to your cydia sources
3. Click on it and install "ultrasn0w fixer for 5.1"
4. Now install the regular ultrasn0w package 1.2.5
5. If you have the iPad baseband, you need to reflash it with redsn0w (if you don't need the iPad baseband, then skip this step, you are done)

If this doesn't work, you might need to restore and rejailbreak (make sure you use the "NO_BB" 5.1 firmware of course), then follow steps 2-5 above.

Let us know how it goes

 

[labman]

There is a workaround for this.

If you are on 5.1 and a have an ultrasn0w compatible baseband:

1. Uninstall ultrasn0w if you have it already installed
2. Add repo.iparelhos.com to your cydia sources
3. Click on it and install "ultrasn0w fixer for 5.1"
4. Now install the regular ultrasn0w package 1.2.5
5. If you have the iPad baseband, you need to reflash it with redsn0w (if you don't need the iPad baseband, then skip this step, you are done)

If this doesn't work, you might need to restore and rejailbreak (make sure you use the "NO_BB" 5.1 firmware of course), then follow steps 2-5 above.

Let us know how it goes

Newbie alert I wouldn't trust this unless it came from the Dev-team.

 

[wanzer]

Newbie alert I wouldn't trust this unless it came from the Dev-team.

It's actually a very well-known workaround while we wait for the dev team to update ultrasn0w for 5.1. Just googling "ultrasn0w fixer" yielded these results:

http://www.redmondpie.com/unlock-io...ne-3gs-using-ultrasn0w-fixer-how-to-tutorial/

http://www.ijailbreak.com/cydia/ultrasn0w-fixer-for-ios-5-1/

http://appadvice.com/appnn/2012/03/jailbreak-only-ultrasn0w-fixer-unlock-solution-for-ios-5-1

and countless youtube tutorials as well.

 

[myvoip07]

It's actually a very well-known workaround while we wait for the dev team to update ultrasn0w for 5.1. Just googling "ultrasn0w fixer" yielded these results:

http://www.redmondpie.com/unlock-io...ne-3gs-using-ultrasn0w-fixer-how-to-tutorial/

http://www.ijailbreak.com/cydia/ultrasn0w-fixer-for-ios-5-1/

http://appadvice.com/appnn/2012/03/jailbreak-only-ultrasn0w-fixer-unlock-solution-for-ios-5-1

and countless youtube tutorials as well.

I second that. The above temporary fix does work. I have done it on an original 3GS and working fine for more then 3 weeks.

 

[Old Smuggler]

I guess i was wrong

 

[groove-agent]

Ultrasn0w Fixer Works

I restored my iPhone to stock 5.1 ispw via iTunes, used redsn0w to jailbreak and reflashed the baseband, installed Ultrasn0w fixer then Ultrasn0w.

My 3GS is unlocked and so far, working as expected.

Thanks to all who participated. Hopefully those who said it couldn't be done now know it can.

 

[dhlizard]

I restored my iPhone to stock 5.1 ispw via iTunes, used redsn0w to jailbreak and reflashed the baseband, installed Ultrasn0w fixer then Ultrasn0w.

My 3GS is unlocked and so far, working as expected.

Thanks to all who participated. Hopefully those who said it couldn't be done now know it can.

It is not that we didn't know of that un-official hack.
I personally do not recommend any hack other than those from established hackers.

Of course, each person is free to make their own choices.

 

[labman]

Wirelessly posted

I agree if it didn't come from the dev-team or at least recomended by them i simply don't trust it. Musclenerd himself does allot of the unlocking work. He also doesn't mind giving other credit if they deserve it.

 

[wanzer]

Wirelessly posted

I agree if it didn't come from the dev-team or at least recomended by them i simply don't trust it. Musclenerd himself does allot of the unlocking work. He also doesn't mind giving other credit if they deserve it.

I'm not sure why all the pushback about this. I guess we shouldn't trust anything if it isn't from the dev team?!?

The bottom line is that it works, real users have confirmed it, reputable blogs and sites have posted tutorials about using it. As far as I know no one has complained about it blowing up their phone or causing any software problems. The ultrasn0w fixer has also been around for previous versions of iOS as well, it's not like it's new and untested. Musclenerd doesn't have to endorse it to make something legitimate. If he is so busy with the unlock (not likely) he should be glad that someone has come up with a fix for 5.1 without his effort. That's the whole idea of jailbreaking, it's a community effort. Hating on a developer's work, especially when their work is legitimately useful, is a good way to stifle development for those who need it, like all the people who needed the unlock on 5.1.

The job of the forum is to educate people on what is out there, then give advice or make recommendations based on experience or evidence. If you don't recommend something, then go ahead and say so, but don't withhold information about something that may help them that is clearly out there, especially with good evidence that it works.

I restored my iPhone to stock 5.1 ispw via iTunes, used redsn0w to jailbreak and reflashed the baseband, installed Ultrasn0w fixer then Ultrasn0w.

My 3GS is unlocked and so far, working as expected.

Thanks to all who participated. Hopefully those who said it couldn't be done now know it can.

Glad to see that it worked. Hopefully people that need to unlock on 5.1 can read this thread and know that there are solutions out there.

 

[groove-agent]

Oh i wanted to share a couple tips to help some other's unlock their phone:

Make sure you don't accidentally have two copies of redsn0w running at the same time.

Make sure your iPhone is the only thing plugged into the USB ports. I had mine plugged into a hub. It didn't work properly.

The clock in the status bar disappeared either after the unlock, or after a content restore of my other phone, a 3G. A reset fixed the problem.

If your iPhone seems to get stuck after a reset (you can see the progress indicator, but nothing happened), you need to attempt a tethered boot using redsn0w. Hold down the power and home buttons until it goes black, count to 5, then release the power button while still holding down the home button until redsn0w detects it's in the correct mode for the tethered boot.