Re-enabling 5 GHz Wi-Fi on LG C5 via webOS Region Modification

This guide details how to bypass the artificial restriction that disables 5 GHz Wi-Fi on certain LG C5 models.

This is not a firmware update or a patch. It is a region configuration adjustment. In some territories (specifically the Middle East), LG has implemented a software-level block on 5 GHz bands despite the hardware being fully capable.

[!WARNING] Caution: Modifying your TV's region can lead to unexpected side effects. This may impact:

• Tuner functionality and channel availability.
• The LG Content Store and the specific apps available for download.
• Regional country settings.
• Your manufacturer warranty or official service support.

Crucial: Always record and back up your original area option before making any changes. An incorrect setting could result in unstable regional configurations.

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🛠️ Confirmed Technical Specifications

The following configuration has been verified to work:

Note: Results may vary based on different hardware groups or firmware versions.

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🗺️ Process Workflow

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📋 Prerequisites

Before proceeding, ensure you have the following ready:

• An LG C5 TV running webOS 25.
• A Windows 11 PC connected to the same local network as the TV.
• An active LG Developer account.
• PowerShell installed with curl.exe, ssh.exe, and scp.exe available.

Note on Files: This repository does not host the script itself. You will download change_region.sh directly from the upstream lg-geolock-bypass project during the process.

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🚀 Step-by-Step Implementation

1. Initialize Developer Mode

Refer to the official LG documentation to install and activate Developer Mode on your television.

2. Configure the Key Server

Inside the Developer Mode application, toggle the Key Server to ON.

• Important: Write down the six-character, case-sensitive passphrase displayed on the screen.

3. Environment Setup

Open PowerShell and execute the following to define your TV's IP and create a workspace:

# Replace TV_IP with your actual TV IP address
$TV = "TV_IP" 
$WorkDir = Join-Path $env:TEMP "lg-c5-region-change"
New-Item -ItemType Directory -Path $WorkDir -Force | Out-Null
Set-Location $WorkDir

Optional Connectivity Check: Verify that the required ports are open:

Test-NetConnection $TV -Port 9991
Test-NetConnection $TV -Port 9922

Both should return TcpTestSucceeded : True. If they don't, power cycle the TV and toggle the Key Server off and on again.

4. Retrieve the SSH Key

Download the private RSA key from the TV:

curl.exe -f "http://${TV}:9991/webos_rsa" -o .\webos_rsa
Get-Item .\webos_rsa

5. Secure Key Permissions

Windows may reject the key if permissions are too broad. Use icacls to restrict access to the current user only:

$CurrentUser = [System.Security.Principal.WindowsIdentity]::GetCurrent().Name
icacls.exe .\webos_rsa /inheritance:r
icacls.exe .\webos_rsa /grant:r "${CurrentUser}:(R)"

If other users/groups still appear in the access list, remove them manually: icacls.exe .\webos_rsa /remove "DOMAIN\UserOrGroup"

6. Deploy the Region Script

Fetch the script from the upstream source and transfer it to the TV's temporary directory:

# Download script
curl.exe -fL "https://raw.githubusercontent.com/lennylxx/lg-geolock-bypass/main/change_region.sh" -o .\change_region.sh

# Upload to TV
scp.exe -i .\webos_rsa -o HostKeyAlgorithms=+ssh-rsa -o PubkeyAcceptedAlgorithms=+ssh-rsa -P 9922 .\change_region.sh "prisoner@${TV}:/tmp/change_region.sh"

Enter the 6-character passphrase when prompted. Confirm the host key if this is your first connection.

7. Backup Original Configuration

Before modifying the system, save your current area option:

ssh.exe -T -i .\webos_rsa -o HostKeyAlgorithms=+ssh-rsa -o PubkeyAcceptedAlgorithms=+ssh-rsa -p 9922 "prisoner@$TV" "sh /tmp/change_region.sh read" | Tee-Object -FilePath .\original-area-option.txt

Look for the line: Current area option: ORIGINAL_AREA_OPTION. Save this value safely!

8. Apply New Region Settings

To enable 5 GHz, we will change the area option to 3122 (which corresponds to the EU group).

Mathematically, the transition is: $\text{Area}_{4956} \rightarrow \text{Area}_{3122}$

Execute the write command:

ssh.exe -T -i .\webos_rsa -o HostKeyAlgorithms=+ssh-rsa -o PubkeyAcceptedAlgorithms=+ssh-rsa -p 9922 "prisoner@$TV" "sh /tmp/change_region.sh 3122"

Verify that the NVRAM write was successful in the console output.

9. Finalization and Verification

The TV will automatically reboot after the change. Once it restarts:

1. Navigate to Settings $\rightarrow$ Network $\rightarrow$ Wi-Fi Connection.
2. Confirm that 5 GHz networks are now visible and connectable.

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🔄 Rollback Procedure

Caution: Rollback has not been fully verified for this specific hardware/firmware combination.

If you need to revert:

1. Re-enable the Key Server and re-upload change_region.sh if the TV rebooted.
2. Run the write command using your saved ORIGINAL_AREA_OPTION: ssh.exe ... "sh /tmp/change_region.sh ORIGINAL_AREA_OPTION"
3. Allow the TV to reboot.
4. Reset the country settings in the TV menu to your original location.

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📚 References

• LG Official: App Testing with Developer Mode App
• Upstream Project: lennylxx/lg-geolock-bypass