Going wireless is much easier. There are simple tutorials on the internet how to setup the security features on the wireless router.
Now if you need the bandwidth of a wired network (wireless is getting close though) then one of the above posts contains a good list of what you will need. You can usually buy a box (1000') of Cat5e cable for around $50 if you keep your eyes open. Home Depot, Lowes, Staples, Office Depot and Office Max all sell Cat5e cable. You want to make sure you use Cat5e cable since it is rated at 1GB/sec where Cat5 cable is rated at 100MB/sec. No significant price difference between the two and you're better off running Cat5e as most new computers come with 1GB ethernet cards.
If I were you I would look into wireless 802.11-N.