System Requirements and Browser Settings

Heritage on-line does not officially support operating systems and browsers other than those listed above. Some Linux users have reported successful Heritage on-line operation using Firefox, Opera and other browsers, but Heritage does not provide technical advice or support for such systems.

Please Note that the majority of access problems experienced by members accessing Heritage on-line can be overcome by simply adding the Heritage websites to the list of Trusted sites in Microsoft Internet Explorer, with a default security setting of LOW.

Common Settings

Session Cookies

A session cookie is a cookie that is maintained only while you are accessing the site. It is not stored on your PC’s hard disk, and simply resides in memory for the duration of your Heritage on-line session. When you log out of Heritage on-line or close your browser, the cookie disappears. No private or financial information is stored in this cookie – it is simply used to maintain a single session between your browser and the Heritage on-line web server.

The Heritage on-line site requires a session cookie. You need to adjust your browser settings to at least allow session cookies. If you do not want to allow cookies in general, then most browsers allow you to enable cookies for particular sites only, while permitting you to still block them for all other sites. If you use Microsoft Internet Explorer, we suggest simply adding the Heritage sites to your List of Trusted Sites.

What is a cookie?

A cookie is a text string that is saved into a file on your computer and is used by websites so that they remember who you are. A cookie cannot search your computer or look in other files – it is simply a text file.

What is actually stored in the cookie?

Usually a cookie will contain a random set of characters that tells a website that your browser has visited that website before. Sometimes a cookie can contain personal information, but it only contains information that you have given to that website, and it is always encrypted.

Javascript

The Heritage on-line websites use Javascript, and you will therefore need this enabled when accessing these sites.

Microsoft Internet Explorer Trusted Sites

The majority of access problems experienced by members using Heritage on-line can be overcome by simply adding the Heritage websites to the List of Trusted Sites in Microsoft Internet Explorer with a default security setting of LOW. This will enable everything that is required for the Heritage websites such as scripting, session cookies etc., while still maintaining your other possibly HIGH security settings for the general "Internet" Zone for everyday surfing. You will still have a 128-bit encrypted SSL session when you connect to Heritage on-line.

To add the Heritage websites to your list of trusted sites:

Microsoft Internet Explorer 6.0:
Click on “Tools” and select "Internet Options". Select the "Security" tab in the options window and make sure you are in the "Trusted Sites" area by clicking on the Green Icon with the tick in it.

Check that the Security level for the "Trusted Sites Zone" is set to LOW. If it is not, then clicking on "Default Level" button will reset it to LOW for this "Trusted Site Zone" only.
Finally, click on the "Sites" button to allow you to add the address of the Heritage websites.

Type the following addresses in the 'Add this Web site to the zone:' box exactly as shown here:

Firstly, type
http://www.heritage.com.au
Click on "Add" and then type the following address:
https://online.hbs.net.au
Click on the "Add" button again. You do not need to check the “Require server verification..." checkbox. Click on the "OK" button.
Now when you access these Heritage sites, that status bar along the bottom of your Internet Explorer window should show that this is a "Trusted Site" that you are currently accessing.

Microsoft Internet Explorer 7.0:
Click on “Tools” and select "Internet Options". Select the "Security" tab in the options window and make sure you are in the "Trusted Sites" area by clicking on the Green Icon with the tick in it. Click on the "Sites" button to allow you to add the address of the Heritage websites.

Type the following addresses in the 'Add this Web site to the zone:' box exactly as shown here:

Firstly, type
http://www.heritage.com.au
Click on "Add" and then type the following address:
https://online.hbs.net.au
Click on the "Add" button again. You do not need to check the “Require server verification..." checkbox. Click on the "Close" button.

Firewalls

Some firewall programs block websites that contain animated components. The Heritage website http://www.heritage.com.au has built-in animated components. If you find that you cannot view the website, check your firewall program to ensure that animations are not blocked.

Firewalls can also be set to override your browser's Cookie and Javascript handling settings. Please make sure that your firewall is set to allow storage of "Per-Session" Cookies and the running of Javascript components.

NOTE: Some operating systems have in-built firewalls. If you don't have specific firewall software installed on your computer, please check your operating system for an in-built firewall. Check any access settings within the firewall, if you do have one in-built.

Browser Encryption

Encryption electronically scrambles the information between your computer and our servers to keep that information private and secure.

How do I check my browser's version and encryption level?
Refer to your browser "Help" for information on your browser's version and encryption level.

Microsoft Internet Explorer 6.0:
Select “Help” and then select “About Internet Explorer”. If the Cipher Strength is shown as a value lower than 128-bit, then you need to take steps to update this.