My router ip address is called an untrusted connection

Question

I've been having an ongoing problem with all of my devices (3 Macs, 2 Ipads, 1 PC) being unable to access Google related web pages, both in Firefox and in Safari. I either get a blank page when I click on a Google link (YouTube too) or else I am re-directed to something called LinkBucks.
Using www.routerlogin.net I changed the password on my Netgear router and hard reset it but the problem persisted. I then tried to access the router by typing 192.168.1.1 in the address line but I got a Mozilla Firefox message telling me "This Connection is untrusted" and further stating "192.168.1.1 uses an invalid security certificate" "This certificate is not trusted because it is self-signed" "This certificate is only valid for UBNT" "Error code:sec_error_untrusted_user".
Thinking my problem was router related I purchased an Apple AirPort Extreme and set it up as a new network today. It did not fix my problem with Google re-direction. The Airport Utility program tells me that the Airport Extreme router address is 192.168.1.1 but still, when I type that in to the Firefox URL address line I get exactly the same message that "This Connection is untrusted".
When I go thru the same procedure in Safari, it tells me me "Safari can't verify the identity of 192.168.1.1" and it further tells me the certificate is "self-signed" by UBNT and Ubiquiti Networks in San Jose, California.
Can anybody help? Why am I being told that the router address can't be trusted? Who/what is UBNT and/or Ubiquiti Networks?

Answer 1

I am not familiar with Ubiquiti, but it seems they provide router technology: http://www.ubnt.com/
A lot of routers include a security certificate so you can use HTTPS to encrypt your connection to the router. However, for cost reasons, they do not buy a signed certificate for every device, or should I say, not signed by an authority that Firefox (and apparently Safari) recognizes as a valid authority to sign certificates.
Often you can create an exception so that Firefox trusts the certificate temporarily. If this were a website where any personal or financial information is involved, you would be suspicious and want to investigate carefully before allowing an exception. For your router, where you mostly connecting to configure its internet connection, you may feel more comfortable creating an exception.
Now about LinkBucks: this might be a system-level hijack, but let's check a couple things in Firefox just in case:
# Does it occur in Firefox's Safe Mode?
# Can you try "No Proxy" as your connection setting?
In case one of your extensions is involved, could you test the page in Firefox's Safe Mode? That's a standard diagnostic tool to deactivate extensions and some advanced features of Firefox. More info: [[Troubleshoot Firefox issues using Safe Mode]].
You can restart Firefox in Safe Mode using
Help > Restart with Add-ons Disabled ''(Flash and other plugins still run)''
In the dialog, click "Start in Safe Mode" (''not'' Reset)
Any difference?
By default, Firefox will look to your system's connection setting.
Firefox menu > Preferences > Advanced > Network mini-tab > "Settings" button
The default (at least on Windows) is "Use system proxy settings" but try "No proxy" to see whether that makes a difference.
I am not very familiar with troubleshooting malware on a Mac. I did find some threads on Apple's forums that you may want to review:
* [https://discussions.apple.com/thread/5821577?tstart=0 LinkBucks.com malware?: Apple Support Communities]
* [https://discussions.apple.com/thread/3802265?start=0&tstart=0 I am having trouble with a redirect...: Apple Support Communities]
* [https://discussions.apple.com/message/23634813#23634813 Linkbucks, How I solved my problem: Apple Support Communities]