I find that fixed IP addresses work better in a workgroup wifi environment, particularly with a mixture of kit from different vendors.
There's a nice feature in Windows XP (certainly in pro, possibly in home) that allows you to set DHCP as the preference for IP and DNS settings, but to also set up an "Alternate" configuration, with a fixed IP address (NOT APIPA), for when the PC can't obtain DHCP address.
In your situation, you could assign fixed IP addresses to the 2 desktop PCs, DHCP with fixed IP addresses as alternates for the 2 portables, and then switch off the DHCP server on the Netgear.
That would allow the portables to receive DHCP addresses on other, DHCP enabled, networks but use the fixed addresses on your home network.
That's the config. I still have on my work laptop.
SD