Restore and the Internet

[developmental]

The past few days I have been without a connection to the internet and two days ago my iPhone locked up showing the iTunes logo and sync cable. I thought OK - Restore.

Sure, I plug in the phone and iTunes loads and a prompt says I must have an internet connection, which I currently didn't have. So I went looking for a restore file somewhere from the last time I had to do it, hoping I could load the file from iTunes and have it restore.

I found the file for the 1.1.4 firmware but it wouldn't restore the phone.
/Users/~/Library/iTunes/iPhone Software Updates/iPhone1,1_1.1.4_4A102_Restore.ipsw (162.1MB)

I didn't look into the file much so if anyone has any more info I'd be interested to hear it.

So I have been without internet or phone because iTunes won't restore with the file on the system. Instead it needs a file from their "iPhone Update Server".

I assume this is so people don't hack the restore file and run it but requiring an internet connection (should be readily available) but if it is not, then what.

So now that I have driven to a coffee shop, bought a large coffee got on the internet, restored my phone and made this post; the only thing left to say is:

WTF Apple.