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. Firewall allow-app on Private belongs in earnapp-windows-firewall-europe-2026. Reputation-based PUA blocking belongs in earnapp-windows-pua-blocking-europe-2026. Defender Add or remove exclusions belongs in earnapp-windows-defender-exclusions-europe-2026. Delivery Optimization Allow downloads from other PCs belongs in earnapp-windows-delivery-optimization-europe-2026. Background apps Always belongs in earnapp-windows-background-apps-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. A week of $0 with the official tray Online and an empty Network-protection history 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, random MAC, 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, Controlled folder access, Smart App Control, SmartScreen, Memory integrity, new-PC and first PayPal have their own pages. Here the stall was Network protection still On (Block) while Firewall already allowed EarnApp.exe on Private, PUA blocking already Off, exclusions already skip-scanning the official exe, Delivery Optimization already Off, Sleep after already Never, Background apps already Always, and EarnApp still Limited / 0 GB with Protection history showing blocked connections that were not a Windows Firewall deny.
RefDeal will not invent a “Network protection off promo,” a Defender coupon, or an EU payout minimum copied from a 2023 screenshot. Windows 11 Network protection (App & browser control → Reputation-based protection settings) is a separate toggle from Potentially unwanted app blocking on the same sheet, from Windows Firewall allow-app, and from Virus & threat protection exclusions. Network protection can be Off, Audit mode, or On (Block). Block treats some Bright Data / residential-proxy session endpoints as low-reputation destinations even when EarnApp.exe is allowed through Firewall and is not a PUA. Turning Network protection 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 “reputation unlocker.” EarnApp is a Bright Data client that needs outbound sessions to many IPs; Network protection is a destination filter on the same NIC. Install from the tracked invite, then confirm Network protection versus EarnApp — do not download a “Defender off.reg” from a chat. Do not farm a work laptop whose MDM forces Network protection On.
Confirm it is Network protection, not Firewall or PUA
Network protection Off is not Firewall Off and not Real-time protection Off — it is a quiet-hour EarnApp stall from a Windows 11 destination-reputation class on an “awake” unmetered box, not a missing promo code.
- Windows Security → App & browser control → Reputation-based protection settings → Network protection. Note Off, Audit mode, or On (Block). Screenshot before you touch anything. Then Virus & threat protection → Protection history: if items say Network protection blocked a connection (destination IP / URL) while EarnApp.exe is still running, that is this page. Do not confuse this with Firewall & network protection → Allow an app through firewall
- If Network protection is already Off but Windows Firewall still blocks EarnApp.exe on Public, that is the Firewall guide first. Network protection is not the Private/Public allow-list
- If Network protection is already Off but Protection history still lists EarnApp.exe as a potentially unwanted app, that is the PUA-blocking guide first. Network protection is a destination filter, not an app-install class
- If Network protection is already Off but Defender still quarantines EarnApp.exe as malware, that is the Defender-exclusions guide first. Network protection does not write Add or remove exclusions
- If Network protection is already Off but Delivery Optimization Activity monitor still uploads to internet PCs, that is the Delivery Optimization guide first. Network protection does not set Allow downloads from other PCs
- If Network protection is already Off but Background apps is still Never, that is the Background-apps guide first. Network protection does not grant background-run permission
- If Network protection is already Off but the NIC is still Metered, that is the metered-connection guide. Metered is a cost flag, not Reputation-based protection
- If Network protection 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 Network protection Off will not fix a VPN path
- 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 a destination block that zeroed GB
- If the tray vanished after reboot and Protection history has no Network protection rows, that is the autostart path first — missing Startup vs a blocked outbound IP are different logs
- If Network protection is grey because MDM/Intune locked it, that chassis is a weak EarnApp farm box. Search Microsoft Learn for “Windows 11 Network protection reputation-based protection,” not a Telegram “EarnApp Defender off.reg”. Do not turn Real-time protection Off. Do not turn Windows Firewall Off to “unlock” destinations
- After a quiet hour, reopen Protection history. If there are no new Network protection blocks, Network protection is Off or Audit, Firewall allowed on Private, PUA Off/Warn, exclusions not eating the exe, Delivery Optimization 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 Network protection 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 Network protection Block, 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 Network protection
- Best EU path: spare Ethernet mini-PC — Network protection = Off (or Audit), Firewall allow on Private, PUA blocking Off or Warn, official EarnApp.exe not quarantined, Real-time protection On, Delivery Optimization Allow downloads from other PCs = Off, Metered 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 Protection history shows Network protection blocked a connection while the tray is Online/Limited: set Network protection to Off. Restart EarnApp from the official shortcut. Document the before/after screenshot. Do not add a folder exclusion for Downloads. Do not disable Real-time protection
- If you must keep Microsoft’s destination telemetry: Audit mode, not On (Block). Re-check Protection history: Block events should stop; Audit may still log. EarnApp still needs those IPs — Off is cleaner on a dedicated farm PC
- On a real travel laptop: leave Network protection at the OEM default and skip EarnApp there if you are on hotel/metered Wi‑Fi. Farm overnight only on AC with a personal spare home PC, Firewall allow on Private, Background apps Always, Sleep Never, Network protection Off or Audit, Delivery Optimization Off, Metered Off, and the chassis not in a bag
- Tell the household: a dark monitor is supposed to happen; Network protection Off does not “open” the PC to malware and does not stop Windows Firewall. Do not buy a “reputation farm pack”. If a Windows feature update reset Network protection to On (Block), redo this page from Reputation-based protection settings, not from a chat ZIP
After Network protection is Off or Audit 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 Network protection Off or Audit on the spare box, no new blocked-connection rows, Firewall allow on Private, PUA Off/Warn, Delivery Optimization Off, Metered 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
- Network protection still On (Block) and Protection history still dropping destinations: stay on this page until Off or Audit on a dedicated spare PC, or skip EarnApp on that chassis
- Network protection Off but Firewall still blocks Public: switch to the Firewall guide
- Network protection Off but Protection history still lists EarnApp.exe as a PUA: switch to the PUA-blocking guide
- Network protection Off but Protection history still quarantines EarnApp.exe: switch to the Defender-exclusions guide
- Network protection Off but Delivery Optimization still uploads to internet PCs: switch to the Delivery Optimization guide
- Network protection Off but Background apps still Never: switch to the Background-apps guide
- Network protection Off but a VPN is still on: switch to the VPN-split-tunnel guide
- Network protection Off but Sleep after still has minutes: switch to the always-on guide
- Network protection Off, history idle, tray vanished after reboot: switch to the autostart guide
- 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
What we will not claim
There is no RefDeal EarnApp promo code, no published “Network protection 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/.