That Netgear DG834G is a nice one-box solution, and most folks are very pleased with theirs. I've got one and it has an annoying fault. After six months, I've still not got any sense out of Netgear. They keep telling me to ring a number in California to discuss it, and then close my complaint when I tell them to phone me. Therefore, be careful!
I bought a Belkin one a couple of years ago for number one daughter, and it was a nightmare. It kept dropping and reconnecting - when I Googled it, I found this was a "known defect". But still they carried on selling them. So I have a "no Belkin active devices" policy (Belkin cables seem to be OK, so far).
Linksys is good - but a fair bit dearer.
Assuming you have broadband connected, I'd buy the Netgear (Amazon's price was the best when I got mine). If your laptop doesn't have built-in WiFi, then you'll also need a PCMCIA or USB Wireless adapter (802.11g is the way to go; about £10 to £15 on Ebay). If the Netgear doesn't work as it should, send it back for a replacement - NOT to be "repaired".