adware pop ups and redirects to strange websites....

There is an 'adware removal guide' among other helpful

tools & additional removal methods in The Safe Mac site...

•Tech Guides:

http://www.thesafemac.com/tech-guides/

•Adware Removal Guide:

http://www.thesafemac.com/arg/

•Adware Removal Tool:

http://www.thesafemac.com/art/

The redirects in Safari are also covered, but are only

symptoms of the actual background bits of badware.

{I'm asking Host to move this from PPC area to Intel.}

Good luck & happy computing! 🙂

Not trying to be pedantic, but you say you downloaded the removal tool - did you actually run the installer, but you're saying that the adware still exists afterwards?

Matt

Just noticed something else on your post, and I can't edit my reply from an iPad...

There is no malware that affects iOS devices, nor can such a problem spread from Mac to IOS or vice versa. If you're getting redirects in web browsers, I suspect that your network DNS is at fault. (Also, do you have any Windows PCs on your network? If so, check them for virus/malware.)

Log into your router (usually http://192.168.1.1 or something similar) and check what DNS servers you have set up. Usually, this sort of thing is left blank for your internet provider to manage, but you may have bad information in there. Try replacing any servers you have with the OpenDNS versions - 208.67.220.220 and 208.67.222.222.

Matt

On your iOS devices, go to Settings - Wifi, and click the "i" symbol next to the network you're on. (Make doubly-sure that you're on the correct network, of course, and haven't strayed into a neighbor's open network by error.)

What values are listed under "DNS"?

Do the same thing for your Mac - System Preferences, Network, Wifi, Advanced, DNS.

If you delete the Mac's DNS values and type in the OpenDNS servers I posted below, does that solve the problem?

Matt

Change them both. (ie, replace them with the two OpenDNS ones).

I can't personally verify, but a quick search of those two DNS values only bring up results for "hacked Netgear router".

If you have control over the router (or can persuade the store owner to change it), I strongly advise that you go through its settings, disable remote access, and reset its DNS to values that you trust. Either use the OpenDNS, or your ISP's own DNS servers (you'll have to contact them to see what these should be).

As to the wireless security, make sure you're using WPA2 (not WPA or WEP) with a strong password.

It's best, of course, if you can use your own internet connection and router, so that you can be in control of your network. At the moment, anyone on the store network (do they allow customers to log in, or give out the password?) potentially has access to your internet traffic.

Matt

You can change the DNS on each device individually - however, any new device connecting to the network would, by default, grab the DNS that the router is providing.

There is no malware that can affect iOS (without those devices being jailbroken), nor any that spread from and infect PC to Mac or vice versa.

Matt

There are two possibilities: either the router has been hacked to direct DNS queries to a malicious server, or it's using the right DNS servers, but those servers have been hacked. The first possibility is more likely.

Follow the manufacturer's instructions to reset the router to the default state. Usually that involves inserting the end of a straightened paper clip or a similar tool into a pinhole somewhere in the back of the device, and pressing a switch inside for about 15 seconds. The pinhole may be marked "RESET."

Repeat the initial setup process. Make sure the router does not allow remote setup from the Internet (WAN port), if it has that feature—most do. The DNS servers should be set automatically by your ISP. If you still have trouble with those servers selected, contact your ISP.

Another option, if your ISP fails to secure its servers promptly, is to use an alternative DNS service such as Google DNS or OpenDNS. I don't recommend either one. Don't believe the marketing hype about OpenDNS, in particular. There are no advantages to using it if your ISP is delivering the service you pay for.

If you have a wireless network, it must be secured with WPA 2 encryption. The passwords for the network and the router must each be a string of at least 10 random upper- and lower-case letters and digits, and they should be different. Any password that you can remember is weak.

http://thesafemac.com/art

I'd personally uninstall Norton, too.

Matt

You asked this already, the answer is NO. Your internet provider is talking nonsense.

Your router has most likely been hacked and is serving corrupt DNS to your devices. Fix that first.

Matt