I was not suggesting that you were less awkward! but simply that if the modem was a modem router, and even an unlocked HG612 can work that way quite well, then you just need one Ethernet port of that modem router and one Ethernet cable to go to your current setup. Your current router would then not handle the PPOE but just take the Ethernet in. The only reason for suggesting it, is that the single Ethernet cable will then allow both the Internet connection as well a access to modem for stats.
I may however be misunderstanding your objectives.
