I'm getting Bigpipe UFB installed on Friday (starter plan). I'm in a new house that has a patch panel box. The ONT will go in here (installation on Friday), and ideally I would have broadband supplied to the 6 ethernet ports dotted around the house from the panel box.

My problems are that:
(1) the Asus router I bought (RT-AC56U) has a stand and can't be mounted in the panel box, and
(2) even if I could put that router in the panel box, the metal door on the panel box would shield the wifi signal.

What's my best option?

I was thinking of buying a cheap router to put in the panel box, and use the Asus router as a wifi access point? If so, do you have a suggested router to plug the ONT into? It's hard to find a non-wifi gigabit router.

Or is there some other hardware that would solve the problem?

As a temporary compromise could I connect the ONT directly to the patch panel and run the router at an ethernet port?