Can’t update your iDevice OTA or using iTunes? We have a fix

By , Mar 9, 2012

I’ve been trying to update my iPad over the air to iOS 5.1 ever since it was released this last Wednesday. Unfortunately, it kept throwing an error saying “Unable to Check for Update. An error occurred while checking for a software update.”

At first, I assumed that Apple’s servers were being slammed, but it’s now been two days and I still couldn’t update, constantly getting this “unable to check for update” error.

So I decided to plug my iPad in to update it the good old way, you know, using iTunes. But iTunes was not very cooperating either as it kept throwing this error: “There was a problem downloading the software for the iPad. The network connection could not be established.”

After a bit of googling, I found the solution to my problem:

All you have to do is change the DNS settings on your iPhone, or iPad. To do so:

  • Go to Settings > Wi-Fi > Tap on the blue arrow of your connected network
  • Under the DNS settings, delete everything and type 8.8.8.8 (Google public DNS)
  • Go to Settings > Software Update
  • You should now be able to download and install the update

Now this doesn’t tell me why this problem occurred in the first place, but this fix sure worked well as I was able to update my iPad within seconds after that.

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  • http://profile.yahoo.com/HUBMN3ZR56PY4WNJ35EHWJ3JLE WESTIN

    Can you still update (over wifi on the device) if you are Jailbroken?
    My iPod touch 4G (64gig) iOS 5.0.1, jailbroken with Redsn0w will not update over wifi.

    iMessage; zipod@ymail.com
    Email; zipod@ymail.com

    Get in to contact with me please.

    • http://www.facebook.com/jacer.lee Jacer Lee

      Just plug in your itunes and restore man.. over the air is just another gimmick sigh..

      • Anonymous

        OTA updates make the iOS run much smoother and stable then restoring from iTunes.

    • http://twitter.com/m4hbub56 Mahbub Hussain

      It’s because you’re on a jailbroken device , the same thing happens if you try to ota from 5.0-5.0.1 , it’s better for you to do it over the computer or you’ll get stuck in a boot loop and lose your itouch forever

    • http://profile.yahoo.com/XZUT7QMOZGYWVSCHTQBOJOEXSI Nabil

      Hi Westin I have the exact same problem . Every time I try to update my Ipod 8 gb IOS 5.0.1 jailbroken with Redsnow, it starts updating n downloading the update but at the end gives error and failure to update. And after many failed attempts I tried to update with Itunes and after downloading the update of 770 mb of data it failed again giving error of 3194 . Frustrating man.

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1611793661 Mark Radu

    Jackie, this might be the fix for your iPhone update problem

  • http://twitter.com/Finnandjake44 Charlie

    I tried changing the DNS server and it still says an error has occurred when checking for an update any help it been 4 days…..

  • sn0wbaLL

    are you people idiots, when ota updates were in beta, musclenerd said that they wont work on a jailbroken device. and here we are 6 months later and people are still trying to update their jailbroken devices over the air.

  • http://twitter.com/rpraveen360  iPraveen 4S 

    Those not able to update their jail token devices OTA should use iTunes to update; it is the best alternative to the one shown above.

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Kevin-OConnor/822449353 Kevin O’Connor

    dude you are cool, well done, this was driving me nuts. Kev in the UK

  • Anonymous

    I was having this error in one of my devices on 3G (not wifi).

  • http://twitter.com/saltyL Luka Juresko

    thanx, works like a charm ;)

  • Anonymous

    I’m on iOS 5.0.1 jailbreak so I don’t want to upgrade until a untethered jailbreak is coming out. So the last thing I want to do is update over wifi or itunes and to prevent this obviously you have the control to not do so on iTunes but over wifi, by the time you plug your iDevice to the wall connected to your wireless network it will try to download the update. If you want to prevent this from happening just enter cydia and download “No Update” free tweak.

    • http://twitter.com/decsmith50 Carl Smith

      My jailbreak phone has continued burn CPU cycles in attempts to download the new 5.1 IOS. Thanks for sharing the “No Update” tweak!

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=708023726 Aaron Michael de Silva

    whats the purpose of adding a dns ?

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=515680570 Deidre Silva

    I followed all of the steps above but I was still given the error message from iTunes, could it possibly have to do with my internet connection and not my DSN?

  • Anonymous

    Now i would love if someone could get to the bottom of this “why” exactly has this happen? I too have this annoying problem and no my devices were not jailbroken.

  • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_W5TMY6F3LAJJZYH43RRB2ZJG54 Dude Some

    My iphone is not jailbroken and had this problem intermittently until 5.1 and now has this issue all the time from itunes. When I sync from the iphone it works every time.

  • http://www.facebook.com/alex.djseven Alex Djseven

    two words RECOVERY MODE !! just worked on my iPad