"The iphone software update server could not be contacted" - error message recieved when i try to update to 5.1.1 via itunes , what can i do ?

Question

The iphone software update server could not be contacted" - error message recieved when i try to update to 5.1.1 via itunes , what can i do ?

Answer 1

Dear Lawrence Finch: 
If you're still around I hope you see this message, as you're the FIRST person (after reading every link, thread, other sites, apple support articles, etc.) to mention JB may be causing this iTunes popup window to REPEATEDLY occur:
"The iPhone software update server could not be contacted."
No, I did not hack anything (are you kidding?  Grannies don't hack!), but I unknowingly bought a 3Gs iOS 3.1 from ebay that was not advertised as JB.  Since it is like brand new, I was going to keep it (because my old backup is iOS 3.1.2) & was trying to simply restore & update, which (I thought) would remove the JB (that's what everybody says at forums, etc).
Instead, after "erasing all settings/content" (inside phone's Settings to get the prior person's name out of there), it is now stuck in White Apple Mode.
Put it in DFU/Recovery Mode & connect to iTunes but that stupid above message keeps appearing & I have already read/tried EVERYTHING to get rid of that message, starting with: 
1.  OLD phones (3Gs) with OLD iOS 3.1+ should work FINE with OLD Mac (iBook) with OLD OSX (Tiger 10.4.11) with OLD iTunes (9.2.1[5]).  So that can't be the problem.
Here's all the other things apple & others say to check which I already checked:
2.  USB ports are FINE, both work FINE, so that's not the problem.
3.  No "extra USB devices" are connected, ONLY a mouse, & then the phone (yes, I tried it w/o the mouse connected but that didn't help).
4.  No "usb hubs."
5.  Latest iTunes for this OSX has already been DL'd (iTunes 9.2.1[5]).  If you know of a newer one for this OSX, please advise.
6.  No antivirus software.
7.  No security software.
8.  No routers; only 1 comcast modem, period.  Wired Ethernet.
9.  No wifi gadgets, no wifi at all.
10.  No firewalls, except what is on iBook in the SHARING/System-Prefs. section.  It's turned OFF.
11.  Did the hosts/terminal thing sudo nano whatever it was.  There were only 3 lines, NO gs.apple.com:
xxxxx local host
xxxxx broadcast host
xxxx local host
Oh, & btw, ATT officially unlocked this phone (after I filled out their online forms) but I can't finish the process via iTunes to get their Confirmation that "Device is Now Unlocked," so I can use T-Mo.
So that's it.  If you have any other ideas of what to do from here, since from your comment, maybe it's the stupid JB on this phone that is causing the problem (???), please advise.
Many thanks!