Problems with my Iphone 3G jailbroken

Hi all, I have an US Iphone 3G 16GB jailbroken (3.1.2) and unlocked: i use it in Italy.

The major problem is that now many of my apps don't work anymore. It's happening frequently when i update an app: it stops working. I think maybe it's because of the old firmware: Itunes tells me it's available the 4.2 version, but i never update not to loose the jailbreak and most of all the unlocking. Some apps, youtube for example, never worked well with jailbreak. Now I'd really like to update firmware to the latest jailbreak available, the 4.2.1 I think, but I'm not sure what is the easyest and safest way to do that, most of all not to loose unlocking. It's not important if I loose the cydia installed apps, because they are a few. But I have to be sure that at the end the Iphone will remain unlocked: i've seen that a good way to jailbreak again now is to use jailbreakme.com, but I'm not sure that it works with my old 3G.
So what can I do? Restore the Iphone via Itunes to the barebone, then Jailbreak and unlock (which software?), but then how to recover itunes apps and iphone data?

The second problem i've always had is that when i try to connect to the internet with the Iphone, the first message I get is: "impossible to connect...". Then I have to sleep the Iphone and wake it with the button and this second time it connects perfectly. It's a bit annoying. I don't know if this too is related to the jailbreaking or it's a hardware problem. When I use the Iphone for tethering, no problem occurs and it connects immediately.

Thanks very much for any help!

Alberto

There isn't really an answer to this problem. I have an unlocked original iPhone running 3.1.3, the last version it CAN run, and haven't run into the problem with compatibility you mention (though some apps are just plain not possible to work with such an old iPhone, so I don't use those).

The reason I hated jailbreaking and unlocking was that you had to repeat the (often elaborate) process EVERY. SINGLE. TIME a new update came out. I was relieved when 3.1.3 came out because that was the last-ever time I had to go through all that.

IIRC, the 3G doesn't perform well under iOS 4, so you're kind of in the same boat.

I've never had the "impossible to connect" message so I can't help you there, but I would suggest you update to 3.1.3 and re-unlock using this tutorial and just leave that phone there. Any apps that still don't work can be stored in iTunes for when you get a newer iPhone that will let them work again. In the meantime, don't update your apps unless you're sure they are still compatible -- just leave them "frozen in time" with your iOS.

Bottom line: if you want to return to full functionality, you're going to have to get a newer iPhone and hope there's an unlock (or its factory-unlocked, should be pretty easy to find one of those in Italy!) for whatever baseband its using.

hi... i am new to this site... i am trying to update my iphone 3gs with new software... it says the iphone software update server could not be contacted... make sure network settings are correct. I use mac os x - does this mean my phone has been jailbroken without my knowledge?! recently i lent it to a friend and since then the battery dies all the time and the screen lights up of its own accord... do i have a virus of somekind?