More iPhone update troubles. Ports? USB2???

[aMUSEd]

Apple iPhone update is screwing me round again and the help page seems to be written for techies - what's a port and how am I supposed to know if it's open or not?

http://support.apple.com/kb/TS1275

Open the proper ports and allow access to Apple servers

During the update and restore process, iTunes needs to contact Apple. Ensure that your computer has the following ports open and can access these servers:

* port 80
* port 443
* phobos.apple.com, albert.apple.com, gs.apple.com

If you experience "Error 9807", you must open access to the following VeriSign servers:

* evintl-ocsp.verisign.com
* evsecure-ocsp.verisign.com

[mn]

A port is basically a 'slot' in the TCP/IP stack, there are up to 64K of them. Things (servers) running on your machine 'listen' on the ports - they run, waiting for someone to try to connect to that port, then they 'service' the connection - and that's how outside things connect to you. KVR's web server for example is listening on port 80 on the machine on which it is running.

Port 80 is the default for http (web servers) and 443 is typically a default for SSL encrypted things, usually https. When you contact another machine's server, you still use a port on your side, but there is no server task running on your side.

In this case by "open" it sounds like they basically just mean that your firewall must allow these ports, you must allow an outgoing connection to contact another machine - the given machines - on those ports.

Long story short, make sure the ports listed and the particular server names listed are not blocked in your firewall rules. If that doesn't work, take your firewall down long enough to do whatever you are doing, then bring your firewall back up.

Disclaimer: no Apple stuff here

[aMUSEd]

I don't have a firewall running though

[mn]

Then your problem most likely has nothing to do with this. I'm quite confident that is what that blurb is referring to.

The only context in which a port is 'open' is either a) you are the server machine and the task has to be there and listening to that port, or b) it has to be 'open' (not blocked) at any firewall to allow the connection to occur. In this case you're talking about apple servers, so a does not apply. I'm confident the text you quoted is referring to b.

[mn]

You could issue a 'netstat' command (no quotes) at the command line while this process is happening. You'll see two columns of addresses and port numbers (nnn.nn.nnn.nn:port). The left is you (your machine) and the right is them (apple or whomever else). If you see a connection to apple on port 80 or 443 then that is more indication that the ports are not your issue.

nnn.nn.nnn.nn:port

[aMUSEd]

OK Apple support think it might be because I need a proper USB2 connection but I thought all my USBs were USB2?? Looking at device manager it gives me this though:



does this imply that out of all 5 ports only one is USB2 (and actually physically there are 6 - 2 front and 4 back). Thing is my laptop gives me the same reading - does each one map to a specific port and if so how do I find the real ones from the duds?

[aMUSEd]

Oh well I did some further investigation and it turns out this is pretty standard - having one USB2 enhanced port listed doesn't mean the rest are not:

http://ask-leo.com/how_can_i_tell_if_i_have_usb_20.html

... on most machines the presence of 'Enhanced', even only once, means
that all USB ports are USB 2.0 ports ..."

So that wasn't the problem. Turns out this problem of the firmware update hanging (and then being unable to restore leading to a bricked iPhone) is a long standing issue with updates going back to version 1:

http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jsp ... ID=6359780

http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jsp ... &tstart=15

Clearly although it doesn't affect the majority it does seem to have cropped up a lot and Apple trying to blame it on the USB ports etc doesn't make sense now. The last post in the above thread has a solution that worked for me:

* While the iPhone is in DFU (black screen mode) go to task manager (ctl+alt+del on your keyboard).
* in task manager go to the 'processes' tab
* look down the list and find itunes.exe and right click on it and select 'end process'
* itunes should now close
* note iPhone should still be connected during this and have the black screen still
* restart iTunes and it will recognise the iphone and ask to restore the iPhone
* follow through by clicking on restore iPhone
* it will extract the software again yet this time the firmware update should go through

which suggests a glitch in the installer/updater routine somewhere. I've let Apple know - they really need to find the real problem instead of blaming it on faulty hardware.