3G[S] 3.1.2 JailBroke with BlackRa1n - Service Issue

[newjailbreaker]

Well I can't even get my 3G(S) to jailbreak, I keep getting stuck on the swcreen with the boy saying done...wait for reboot. I asked in another forum, they don't me to downgrade using to 3.0 and jailbreak using redsnow (windows), then upgrade to 3.1.2 using pwnage (Mac), which makes no sense to me. But I was wondering if anyone else had a better idea because I don't want to downgrade.

[Bostonian]

I was stuck on the 'Done, wait for reboot' several times myself. Then I disabled my Norton Antivirus and re-did the thing and it worked then.
I still have the call drop as my biggest problem. Any body have a solution for that?

[brahby]

This forum has been amazingly helpful so far. I only have 3 quick questions:

1) have we concluded this is a result of installing blacksn0w?
2) does it make a difference if we install it using blackrain or if we add it through cydia?
3) in regards to unlocking on Att, if we are using a prepaid sim and/or not using the iphone data plan do we unlock or not? I thought anytime you were not using an iphone with the data plan whether on Att or not you had to jailbreak?

[fzr confused]

i installed blackra1n back in december as well as snow and maybe cydia??? i am NOT a computer person so i had my friend do what he needed to get my phone JB so i could tether with it. i was getting dropped calls constantly and then it just froze on the apple screen. i did a restore on the phone to even turn on earlier this week. i reinstalled blackra1n today and i THINK i installed snow too (thought that was needed to enable tethering), and i am having dropped calls again . how can i find out if i installed snow and if its installed, how do i remove it without running a restore on my phone? the only thing i want from my phone is to be able to tether. any help would be great! i need my phone to get service more than to tether, so if i cant get constant service like i did before the JB i will just restore it, but i would rather not.

edit: i am still using AT&T so i do not need it unlocked in that way.