Q: iPhone software update server could not be contacted.

Also, iOS 6.1.4 was released today (iPhone 5 only) so there is going to be a heavier than normal load on Apple's servers as people do their updates.

What this article does not address is the possiblity that the phone was hacked to unlock it. If that's the case, it will be completely unable to activate until and unless it is legitimately unlocked by the carrier it was originally locked to.

It sure would be nice if Apple or someone could explain more about what is being blocked?  Is iTunes trying to make an http request to something?  I've disabled the firewalls on my box but I can't, for the life of me, figure oiut what iTunes "can't do" on the laptop displaying this error.

Was your phone hacked to unlock it?

I dont know. I bought the phone from Bangkok.

Its Korean made, because it has KCC-xxx-xxxx on the back of the iPhone 5.

And the seller said, its officially unlocked phone only.

So, how do we handle this now ?

Of course, Im not going to Korea and find out, if it was officially or unoficially unlocked or whatever.

I paid the full money and bought it.

Odds are very high that it was hacked to unlock it.

If the seller said it was "officially unlocked" then take it up with them. If the phone is from Korea, you can only get service for it in Korea. The warranty is not good outside the country of origin.

You bought a gray market phone. There's nothing anyone here can do for you.

I called up Apple USA iPhone Support and they said, its an officially unlocked phone.

So, that proves, this was not hacked.

Not sure, why I still get this error.

If the phone was hacked or jailbroken to unlock it before the owner applied for a legitimate unlock, it may now be in a state where it can not accept a legitimate unlock. Try a DFU mode restore. If that doesn't fix it. Get on a plane and take it to the country where it was originally sold. Take it to the genius bar at an Apple Store and see what they have to say about it.

In the same country, do they do immediate replacement ?

They do in the US. You'll have to ask in the country it originally came from. OOW replacements are not available in all countries.