How to Restore 5 GHz Wi-Fi on an LG C5 TV by Changing Its webOS Region
Restoring 5 GHz Wi-Fi on an LG C5 by changing its webOS region
A GitHub guide details how to restore 5 GHz Wi-Fi on an LG C5 TV (webOS 25) that lacks it due to factory region settings. The method uses LG Developer Mode and a script from the lg-geolock-bypass project to change the TV's region from Middle East (area option 4956) to EU (3122, Germany), successfully enabling all 5 GHz channels. The author warns it's a region change, not a firmware fix, and may affect other features and warranty.
Changing the region can affect tuner behavior, the LG Content Store, installed or available apps, country settings, and warranty or service handling.
- zamadatix
It should probably be noted changing the regulatory region of an RF device may result in you using illegal frequencies in your area depending on the combination of which region you're in and which region you're setting it to.
- kwanbix
I don't get it, why can't they just change the region in the settings?
I was able to on my LG. Nice TV, worst firmware ever. It had an issue with Wifi. It basically will not connect once or so a week. You needed to change, you guess it, the region. So I will keep changing from Germany to Spain to Ireland to Germany to Etc. I sent pictures, videos, emails, links to youtube videos to LG support, they wouldn't care, they would just deny it. In the end I bought a Fire TV Max and that was it. But what a horrible support experience LG never again.
- flacebo
Nice workaround. Feels pretty stupid that you have to do that. Sounds like they choose the easy way to comply with the regulations. They could probably just have blocked certain frequency ranges.
Although I'm still fully convinced that TVs just got worse for the consumer since they became "smart". My extended family had to replace perfectly good TVs three times because the new version of a streaming app did not work anymore.
Add stuff like running ads on an expensive TV, running spyware that sends screenshots even of your HDMI source back to the company (possibly exposing your passwords and everything), the continuous nagging about new versions and ToS (with dark patterns to accept sending voice data home), and I feel like the only sane option is to never ever give internet connection to these TVs. Use a separate device for streaming.
- rootsudo
Since you have ssh access to webos, how is it to remove the telemetry, ads and other such? Is webos better than a generic TCL for such antics? The TCL can be rooted and is android based but I’m not up to date on current rom configurations, etc.
- pzmarzly
If LG ever removes or restricts Developer Mode, I am selling my TV the same day.