What this guide is (and is not)
Idle Sleep after / “never sleep on AC” as the farm policy belongs in always-on-pc-earnapp-setup-europe-2026. Defender Network protection belongs in earnapp-windows-network-protection-europe-2026. Firewall allow-app on Private belongs in earnapp-windows-firewall-europe-2026. Metered Wi‑Fi/Ethernet belongs in earnapp-windows-metered-connection-europe-2026. Wi‑Fi random hardware addresses belongs in earnapp-windows-wifi-random-mac-europe-2026. ISP fair-use wording belongs in isp-fair-use-bandwidth-europe-2026. A tray that vanished after reboot belongs in earnapp-windows-autostart-reboot-europe-2026. VPN split-tunnel versus EarnApp bans belongs in vpn-split-tunnel-vs-earn-app-bans-europe-2026. CGNAT / IPv6 dual-stack rates belong in cgnat-ipv6-dual-stack-earn-rates-europe-2026. A week of $0 with the official tray Online, DHCP DNS, and no Encrypted-only DoH belongs in earnapp-offline-zero-earnings-europe-2026. Power mode, Energy Saver, Efficiency / EcoQoS, Game Mode, Xbox Game Bar, Processor idle disable, Processor performance boost mode, Maximum processor state, Minimum processor state, System cooling policy, USB Root Hub Device Manager, USB 3 LPM, USB selective suspend, NIC adapter checkbox, Wi‑Fi Power Saving Mode, EEE / Green Ethernet, PCIe ASPM, Fast startup, Modern Standby, Hibernate, hybrid sleep, lid close, power button, turn-off-display, hard-disk timeout, AHCI HIPM/DIPM, Delivery Optimization, Defender exclusions, Controlled folder access, PUA blocking, Smart App Control, SmartScreen, Memory integrity, new-PC and first PayPal have their own pages. Here the stall was Encrypted only (DNS over HTTPS) still on a public resolver while Network protection was already Off, Firewall already allowed EarnApp.exe on Private, Metered already Off, random MAC already Off, Sleep after already Never, Background apps already Always, and EarnApp still Limited / 0 GB with lookups that never used the ISP recursive DNS Bright Data expects on a residential line.
RefDeal will not invent a “DoH off promo,” a DNS coupon, or an EU payout minimum copied from a 2023 screenshot. Windows 11 DNS server assignment (Network & internet → Ethernet or Wi‑Fi → DNS server assignment → Edit) is a separate control from Network protection, from Windows Firewall allow-app, and from Metered. Preferred DNS encryption can be Off (unencrypted), Encrypted preferred, or Encrypted only. Encrypted only fail-closes when the DoH endpoint is unreachable; Encrypted preferred can still send every successful lookup to 1.1.1.1 or 8.8.8.8 instead of the ISP resolver. Bright Data / EarnApp prices a residential ISP exit; a Cloudflare/Google DoH path is not the same class as your ISP’s recursive DNS even when the public IP is still home fibre. Turning Encrypted DNS Off on a dedicated spare farm PC you own does not turn Real-time protection Off and does not uninstall Windows Firewall. Do not buy a “residential DNS unlocker.” Install from the tracked invite, then confirm DNS encryption versus EarnApp — do not download a “DoH off.reg” from a chat. Do not farm a work laptop whose MDM forces Encrypted only.
Confirm it is Encrypted DNS, not Network protection or a VPN
Encrypted only Off is not Network protection Off and not Firewall Off — it is a quiet-hour EarnApp stall from a Windows 11 DoH resolver class on an “awake” unmetered box, not a missing promo code.
- Settings → Network & internet → Ethernet (or the Wi‑Fi you actually use) → DNS server assignment. Note Automatic (DHCP) versus Manual, the DNS addresses, and Preferred DNS encryption: Off, Encrypted preferred, or Encrypted only. Screenshot before you touch anything. Then open a Command Prompt: nslookup whoami.akamai.net (or nslookup on the NIC). If the server line is 1.1.1.1, 1.0.0.1, 8.8.8.8, 8.8.4.4, 9.9.9.9, or another public DoH endpoint while EarnApp is Limited / 0 GB, that is this page. Do not confuse this with Windows Security → App & browser control → Network protection
- If DNS encryption is already Off (unencrypted DHCP) but Protection history still lists Network protection blocked a connection, that is the Network-protection guide first. DoH is a resolver wrap, not a destination-reputation drop
- If DNS encryption is already Off but Windows Firewall still blocks EarnApp.exe on Public, that is the Firewall guide first. Encrypted DNS is not the Private/Public allow-list
- If DNS encryption is already Off but the NIC is still Metered, that is the metered-connection guide. Metered is a cost flag, not DNS-over-HTTPS
- If DNS encryption is already Off but Wi‑Fi random hardware addresses is still On, that is the random-MAC guide first. A rotating STA MAC is not a DoH transport
- If DNS encryption is already Off but a VPN is on (even split-tunnel), that is the VPN-split-tunnel guide. Bright Data often flags datacentre/VPN exits; turning Encrypted only Off will not fix a VPN path. DoH-to-Cloudflare plus a VPN is two extra hops, not “better EarnApp DNS”
- If DNS encryption is already Off but you are on CGNAT / IPv6-only with a broken dual-stack, that is the CGNAT/IPv6 rates guide. DoH does not invent a public IPv4
- If Put my device to sleep after is 5, 10, or 15 minutes on AC, that is the always-on guide first. A parked machine after Sleep is Sleep (or Modern Standby), not Encrypted only that zeroed GB
- If the tray vanished after reboot and DNS was already Automatic unencrypted, that is the autostart path first — missing Startup vs a fail-closed DoH lookup are different logs
- If DNS encryption is grey because MDM/Intune locked Encrypted only, that chassis is a weak EarnApp farm box. Search Microsoft Learn for “Windows 11 DNS over HTTPS encrypted DNS,” not a Telegram “EarnApp DoH off.reg”. Do not set a random “EarnApp DNS” hostname from a chat. Do not point the NIC at a free “residential DNS” VPN
- After a quiet hour, reopen DNS server assignment. If encryption is Off, the adapter uses the ISP DHCP resolvers, Network protection is Off or Audit, Firewall allowed on Private, Metered Off, random MAC Off, Background apps Always, Sleep after Never, and the tray is still Limited with 0 GB, check NIC power-saving / USB hub / Power mode / Energy Saver next, then the offline/$0 guide — or ISP fair-use if the meter was the story
Fix Encrypted DNS versus EarnApp sessions
Do this on the machine that actually runs EarnApp, on the home Ethernet path you intend to keep. Do not fight a work laptop whose MDM restores Encrypted only, and do not farm a phone hotspot.
- Open /earnapp/ and use the RefDeal tracked invite if the client is not installed yet. The invite attributes a first signup. It does not write DNS encryption
- Best EU path: spare Ethernet mini-PC — DNS server assignment = Automatic (DHCP), Preferred DNS encryption = Off, Network protection = Off (or Audit), Firewall allow on Private, official EarnApp.exe not quarantined, Real-time protection On, Delivery Optimization Allow downloads from other PCs = Off, Metered Off, random MAC Off, Background apps = Always, Power mode = Best performance plugged in, Energy Saver Off, Efficiency leaf Off, Game Mode Off, Sleep after = Never. Leave Windows Firewall On. Leave the box on AC, vents clear
- If Encrypted only is on and the tray is Online/Limited with 0 GB: Edit DNS server assignment → Automatic (DHCP) → Preferred DNS encryption Off → Save. Optional: ipconfig /flushdns, then restart EarnApp from the official shortcut. Document the before/after screenshot. Do not paste “EarnApp DNS 1.1.1.1” from a forum. Do not disable Real-time protection
- If you must keep encryption: Encrypted preferred only if the DNS addresses are still the ISP DHCP resolvers, not Cloudflare/Google. Re-check nslookup: the server should be the ISP recursive, not 1.1.1.1. Encrypted only fail-closes when the DoH POST path is blocked — Off is cleaner on a dedicated farm PC
- On a real travel laptop: leave Encrypted DNS at the OEM/school default and skip EarnApp there if you are on hotel/metered Wi‑Fi or a captive portal (those often break DoH anyway). Farm overnight only on AC with a personal spare home PC, DHCP DNS unencrypted, Firewall allow on Private, Background apps Always, Sleep Never, Network protection Off or Audit, Metered Off, and the chassis not in a bag
- Tell the household: a dark monitor is supposed to happen; Encrypted DNS Off does not “open” every website to the ISP in a special EarnApp way beyond ordinary unencrypted DNS on a home line you already use for browsing. Do not buy a “resolver farm pack”. If a Windows feature update reset Encrypted only, redo this page from DNS server assignment, not from a chat ZIP
After Encrypted DNS is Off and Sleep stays Never
Sign in with the same account you intend to keep. Leave the box on AC. Confirm the official tray through a quiet hour on home Ethernet. Use /earnapp/ if you never started from our tracked invite.
- Tray Online through a quiet week with DHCP DNS encryption Off on the spare box, nslookup hitting the ISP recursive, Network protection Off or Audit, Firewall allow on Private, Metered Off, random MAC Off, Background apps Always, Defender not eating the exe, and Sleep Never: leave it. We will not quote a fake first-day amount. Screenshot your own dashboard if you need a record
- Encrypted only still on and nslookup still 1.1.1.1 / 8.8.8.8: stay on this page until Automatic (DHCP) + encryption Off on a dedicated spare PC, or skip EarnApp on that chassis
- Encrypted DNS Off but Network protection still On (Block): switch to the Network-protection guide
- Encrypted DNS Off but Firewall still blocks Public: switch to the Firewall guide
- Encrypted DNS Off but the NIC is still Metered: switch to the metered-connection guide
- Encrypted DNS Off but random hardware addresses still On: switch to the random-MAC guide
- Encrypted DNS Off but a VPN is still on: switch to the VPN-split-tunnel guide
- Encrypted DNS Off but Sleep after still has minutes: switch to the always-on guide
- Encrypted DNS Off, DHCP ISP resolvers, tray vanished after reboot: switch to the autostart guide
- Encrypted DNS Off, Network protection Off or Audit, Firewall allowed on Private, Power mode Best performance, Energy Saver Off, Efficiency leaf Off, Background apps Always, Sleep Never, unmetered home fibre, tray Online or Limited, still $0 after a quiet week: switch to the offline/$0 guide (official binary, Limited, ISP) — or the ISP fair-use guide if the meter was the story all along — or the CGNAT/IPv6 guide if the WAN has no usable public IPv4
What we will not claim
There is no RefDeal EarnApp promo code, no published “DoH bonus,” and no honest EU minimum we can paste from a 2023 screenshot. Primary CTA stays the EarnApp offer with our tracked invite. Hub: /guides/bandwidth-safety/. Starter: /en/start/bandwidth/.