Max,
The most secure security you can use would be WPA/WPA2 TKIP or AES. AES is said to be the strongest encryption possible at the moment, and it has not been cracked - but give it a wiff and see how it works for yourself.
Since you're on a G connection, I don't see yourself having the need for WPA/WPA2, but if you're wanting an extra bit of security, that might be an option for you.
Other then that, I hope your connection holds up. AFAIK, using a channel different from others is better because it causes less interference. If possible, also try to see if you can connect using a 5.2 ghz band instead of the traditional 2.8 ghz range.
I myself am having some issues with my Dell laptop, but that's incase I'm using an Intel 5300 AGN (In my opinion, a POS) card that's known to have serious issues with N connectivity.