Chat Room Login Help

The friendliest place on the web for anyone with an interest in aquariums or fish keeping!
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.

Janet H

Administrator
Site Team
Joined
Dec 16, 2007
Messages
3,268
Location
Eastern Washington
There have been several reports that members are having trouble accessing the AA chat rooms.

This recent issue has to do with Java (the software the drives the chat application) heightening their security measures in order to better protect users against malicious attacks on the internet. Because of this, you will now have to do a bit of configuring both in your browser as well as your Java control panel, in order to resume using the chat application.

The following instructions are divided into sections that pertain to three of the available browsers: Chrome, Firefox, and IE.

If you are unsure about what version of Java you have running you can check by visiting the java site verification tool here: https://www.java.com/en/download/installed.jsp. Once you have updated your Java version you may begin by checking to ensure that your browser is not set to automatically block Java applets.

In Internet Explorer

1. Open your browser and go to Internet Options (the gear-shaped icon in the upper right corner)

IE_settings.png


2. Next select the Security tab on the top, and click the Custom Level button towards the bottom

IE_settings_securitytab.png


3. Now scroll to the section that handles the scripting of Java applets. Here you should make sure that this option is not set to disable. It should be either Enable (automatically allows Java to run) or Prompt (asks you each time to allow/deny.)

IE_settings_securitytab_promptjava.png



In Chrome

1. Open your browser, and type in the address bar: chrome://plugins

chrome_settings.png


2. Navigate to the Java plugin and ensure that it is not disabled (grayed out.) Here, if you have the Always Allow box checked, it will automatically run Java without asking you. If the box is not checked, Chrome will prompt you to give permission each time.

chrome_java_settings.png



In Firefox

1. Open your browser, and go to the Add-ons settings.

ff_settings.png


2. Select the Plugins tab on the left-hand side, and navigate to the Java plugin. Make sure that you either have Ask to Activate (will prompt you each time Java tries to run) or Always Activate (automatically runs without asking you.)

ff_java_settings.png



Now that you have verified that your browser is not blocking Java, the final step is to add a couple of site names to the Exceptions list within the Java Console itself.

First, you will need to open up the Java Console.

In Windows

1. Go to Start and search: configure java

In Mac (OS X)

1. Click the Apple icon in the upper left of the screen
2. Select System Preferences
3. Select the icon for the Java Control Panel

The next thing you are going to want to do is select the Security tab and then the Edit Site List button.

java_console0.png


Now you will need to add two separate entries to this exception list:
1. http://www.aquariumadvice.com
2. http://client11.addonchat.com

java_console1.png


Now click Ok, accept the following prompt, and exit the Java Console.

Lastly, you will want to reopen your browser. Now when you navigate to the chat section, you will be prompted to run the Java application. Click Run, and you should be all set.
 
FYI, on corporate networks, this may not be possible, as most IT groups lock down settings like this.

Are there plans to get a signed certificate for the chat room so that we don't need to work around this? (I'm going through this right now with an app I develop..had to dish out $1200 for a 3 year cert).
 
Back
Top Bottom