what is the proper way to hard reset the 2wire 3600HGV router?

Unplug the ac cable for 30 seconds and then reconnect it.

There is no off switch for the RG.  The button on the back is a reset button, but to do a hard reset that will cause the software to be redownloaded into the RG it has to be powered off for at least 30 seconds.

what is the small reset button on the back for, then?

Do I unplug the ac cable after switching the router off or does it not matter?

Haha, you're right. Thank you for the fast response!

Yw.

Sorry for the late update, but I unplugged the power cord for 30 seconds and then plugged it back in but the settings are still there! I thought everything in the memory would be wiped out.  Was there something else I missed?

Is that the exact same thing as a "hard reset"?  I've read somewhere that you can get viruses on your router, I'm trying to wipe everything off the router that I don't need just to be sure. Thanks for the help.

A few routers based on DD-WRT or other Linux-derived code might be vulnerable to malware, but the 2Wire router has AT&T-proprietary firmware, so malware is not an issue.

A factory reset, hard reset, etc. are all the same thing. It's a reset of the router, clearing the existing configuration completely, and starting as if it just came out of the box.  This is opposed to a normal reset, restart, or reboot which does not clear the existing configuration.

I'm really confused.  What if I do not wish to do a complete Factory Reset; I simply wish to do a Reboot of my gateway to see if that cures a couple of evasive snafus.  Someplace I thought I read to hold downt the reset button for up to 4 seconds..... but now I am confused if I should remove the DC power plug for 30 seconds.......... please help.