no tethering on officially unlocked iPhone

*Again, carriers have nothing to do with unlocked phones*

It seems you are wrong about that.

I can't re-enable tethering after downgrading to iPhone OS 3.0 (on a legal operator-free iPhone 3G). No solutions work (I haven't and won't jailbreak the phone). I've lost my trust in Apple products for critical applications. One thing is for one product to break down (which is normal), another is to issue an update that will break an essential functionality to customers who have done nothing wrong: I bought operator-free sold by Apple itself (imported from Italy, because my carrier here in Portugal is the only one who doesn't sell the iPhone); and I have a data plan that allows tethering - I could go out right now and buy a Nokia phone and use it with my MacBook Air with this exact SIM card.

So basically, instead of buying a locked phone, jailbreaking it, and having a great experience (and taking illegal advantage of the carrier's investment in subsiding the terminal), I took the "high road", paid more. And I get a worse experience. I feel like an idiot right now.

How did you downgrade to 3.0?
Is it possible?

I have my experience posted here

Please bear in mind that I have successfully downgraded from 3.1 Beta 2, not the released 3.1 of which the baseband may be different.

Good Luck!

janus19 wrote:
well, in my specific case, consumer counsels couldn't care less.

Yes, outside EU things are probably different.

Azm0d3uz wrote:
I suggest to try to complain with Apple as much as possible. Let's try also using this form:
http://www.apple.com/feedback/iphone.html

I send this to "feedback"

I own a iPhone 3G unlocked (in Belgium). My provider, Proximus, allows tethering. I have used it with soft version 3.0.1 but the functionality disappeared when upgrading to 3.1 (iTunes 9).
This is the functionality which led me to buy an iPhone. I need it badly. Thanks

My iPhone 3G is also with Vodafone Australia and is officially unlocked.

Last night when I went to connect to my iPhone as I have been since the OS 3.0 update, I got the following error.

"The Bluetooth network is unavailable.

There was a problem connecting to your device.
Make sure the devices are on, in range, paired correctly, and services such as Bluetooth tethering are set up properly."

Well it was working before I updated to 3.1 now the settings as advertised here:-

http://www.apple.com/iphone/iphone-3gs/tethering.html

"Now you can share the fast 3G connection on your iPhone with your Mac or PC and connect to the Internet from just about anywhere — no Wi-Fi required.
Tethering is not currently offered in the U.S. and some other countries. See your carrier for availability.

Share the connection.
With Internet tethering on iPhone, you don’t need a Wi-Fi hotspot to surf the web from your computer. Now you can share the 3G connection on your iPhone with your Mac notebook or PC laptop and connect to the Internet anywhere. When your iPhone is tethered, you can still send and receive data and make phone calls.
How to use Internet tethering

Connect via USB.
You can also use the USB cable included with your iPhone to enable Internet tethering — and charge your iPhone at the same time. Connect your iPhone to your computer via USB and select the iPhone USB network service as your network connection. All the necessary software is automatically installed using iTunes.

Connect wirelessly.
Wirelessly tether your computer to your iPhone using Bluetooth and you can stay cable-free. Just pair your iPhone with your Bluetooth-equipped computer, then select the iPhone Bluetooth PAN service as your network connection."

Have become FALSE AND MISLEADING, which leads to OBTAINING BENEFITS BY DECEPTION which by it's very nature is FRAUDULENT which is illegal under most jurisdictions as the settings as shown in the picture in the link HAVE GONE, they NO LONGER EXIST.

Here a way to downgrade a 3G to 3.0.1! Not tested on 3GS!!

USE AT YOUR OWN RISK !!!

- connect the iPhone to your computer
- start iTunes
- klick to "check for updates" while pressing ALT (Mac) or SHIFT (PC)
- then choose Firmware 3.0.1 ( http://appldnld.apple.com.edgesuite.net/content.info.apple.com/iPhone/061-6972.2 0090731.Zx3Rr/iPhone1,23.0.1_7A400Restore.ipsw )
- wait till you get an error.
- now your iPhone is in recovery mode 😟
- start irecovery and get it out of recovery mode ( http://westbaer.de/ )
- be happy with your 3.0.1

*APPLE, WHY?*

I am very annoyed about the fact that Tethering is disabled by default and that I am not able to enable it! My iPhone is factory unlocked and my carrier, o2 Germay, allows me to use Tethering. Just for any Apple-Customer-Support-Man I will quote an E-Mail I got from o2 Germany:

+Guten Tag,+

+vielen Dank für Ihre Anfrage.+

+Anbei übersenden wir Ihnen die gewünschten Einstellungsdaten zur+
+Modem-Einwahl (Tethering) für Ihr Apple iPhone 3G/3GS mit Software-Version+
+3.x. Bitte haben Sie Verständnis, dass wir über diese Anleitung hinaus+
+keinen Service für Anfragen zum iPhone anbieten können, da das Gerät nicht+
+von o2 vertrieben wird.+

+Um ihr iPhone als Modem zu nutzen (Tethering) ist es notwendig, die+
+angehängte Konfigurationsdatei »o2-postpaid.mobileconfig« auf dem iPhone zu+
+installieren. Hierzu öffnen Sie diese Mail auf dem Telefon und bestätigen+
+und installieren Sie die angehängte Konfigurationsdatei. Bestätigen Sie+
+ggf. die Meldung »Die Authentizität kann nicht überprüft werden« mit+
+»Installieren« bzw. »Ersetzen«.+

+Nach der Installation können Sie die Modemfunktionalität einschalten.+
+Öffnen Sie hierzu das Menü und folgen Sie durch Drücken des jeweiligen+
+Symbols auf dem Display folgendem Menüpfad: »Einstellungen«, »Allgemein«,+
+»Netzwerk«, »Internet-Tethering«. Schalten Sie » Internet-Tethering« ein+
+und verbinden Sie das iPhone mit Ihrem Computer, um die Verbindung+
herzustellen.

+(See attached file: o2-postpaid.mobileconfig)+

+Die neuesten Informationen, Tipps und Services rund um o2 Germany finden+
+Sie im Internet unter www.o2online.de. Wenn Sie sich dort als Kunde+
+registrieren, können Sie Ihre Vertragsdaten ändern und Ihre Rechnung+
einsehen.

+Freundliche Grüße+

+Ihr Team von o2 Germany+

+Diese E-Mail-Adresse wird ausschließlich für abgehende Korrespondenz+
+genutzt. Für evtl. Rückfragen steht Ihnen unser Kontaktformular unter+
+www.o2online.de/goto/email-kontakt zur Verfügung.+


+Telefónica o2 Germany GmbH & Co. OHG - Georg-Brauchle-Ring 23-25 - 80992+
+München - Deutschland - www.o2.com/de+

+Ein Beitrag zum Umweltschutz. Nicht jede E-Mail muss ausgedruckt werden.+
www.o2engagiert-fuer-morgen.de

+Bitte finden Sie hier die handelsrechtlichen Pflichtangaben:+
www.de.o2.com/pflichtangaben

You see, there are carriers who are not as conservatively as your best frient, AT&T is. Please give all of us iPhone-users who are alloed to tether the possibility to do!

How did you downgrade to 3.0?
Is it possible?

Yes.

For fun Google: downgrade iphone 3.1

Look, I've made my fair share of computer mistakes in life. But one thing I learned a long time ago, is to wait a lease ten days after _any update_ is released and spend a few minutes searching on the Web for any issues.

People who did this can still have 3.01 and iTunes 8.2 with no effort.

Considering that most other phones can tether, this will probably all be sorted out 'eventually'. Of course this doesn't help the poor guy stuck in one of those crummy hotels that charges twenty dollars a day for Internet, and he only needs it for 10 minutes.

http://www.usatoday.com/travel/hotels/2009-08-31-hotel-internet-wifi_N.htm

@ German Apfel

Jetzt würde mich aber auch brennend interessieren, ob die übersandte O2 MobileConfig Datei bei Dir auch wirklich unter OS 3.1 das Tethering freigibt.

Gruß
Axel

I am in Northern Ireland (UK) and serviced by O2 with purchased tethering option. With 3.1 this no longer works. It looks to me as if Apple, when trying to stop 'jailbroken' Internet tethering also blocked legitimate tethering.

I also have a factory unlocked iPhone with no tethering in 3.1 with usb connector. My mac can't see iphone in network setting
I still have tethering using Bluetooth

People who did this can still have 3.01 and iTunes 8.2 with no effort.

This is not entirely true. iPhone 3GS users cannot downgrade back to 3.01, because the baseband has been upgraded. I repeat: 3GS cannot be downgraded back to 3.01, only older phones can.

This leaves us 3GS users in a really nasty situation, I use (or, used to use) tethering every day, and I'm wondering what prompted apple to **** on their paying, honest, customers like this.