Best router to use in an apartment building

Hi-- First, i hope i'm in the right forum!
I switched to a new imac from a PC about 2 years ago, have since also gotten an ipod touch and an Ipad 2 with 3G. All things considered (such as having no idea what most threads are talking about) i'm generally doing pretty well for what my needs are. So here's my question: i'm using a router that my cable co. set up because for some reason someone told me it would work better. Not sure who the someone was but that's what I did so i'm paying for that every month. I also live in an apartment building with very thick walls so if i'm at the other end of the ap't from where my computer is with my Ipad i almost never get wifi but have to use the 3G connection. Would I be better off buying a router and stop renting one every month, and if so, are there any that would give me better reception throughout the ap't?
Also, if i do buy one, i would need someone to set it up (yep, i know it's easy to do but not necessarily for me, plus i,m considering setting up Apple TV, and at this point I don't have a clue about that.) so what or who would i look for in the Yellow Pages? Family members are not much more computer savvy than I am, and i don't want to bother any friends who might know how to do this.
Forgive my punctuation, etc. errors...I'm on the Ipad and I turned off the feature that was always (usually incorrectly) deciding what i wanted to say before i said it.
Thanks in advance for any help.

Most ISP-supplied wireless routers are crap - I certainly wouldn't rent one - and chances are they set it up with weak, default security which is bad news in an apartment building.

I just bought a Netgear N900 (WNDR4500) and setup could be done by a trained chimp. This is a high-end router, but it has one of the strongest radios on the market and I would recommend it.

Apple's AirPort Extreme is pricey, but as it's an Apple product, it's designed to be very simple to setup. User reviews almost unanimously confirm this. So, that might be another option to consider.

Before you go and hire someone to set it up, give it a try yourself. I think you'd be surprised by how simple it is.

Hi..Thanks so much for yoour input. Several people also gave great ratings to the DL

Hi--thanks so much for your input. Several people also gave high ratings to the DLinkdir655 which is considerably less expensive, and since I'm on a limited budget I might go for that. Amazon gives each essentially the same rating, with the DLink actually having more people rating it.
Definitely will get rid of the Time Warner one since I'm paying for something that's really not working very well. Just have to figure out where it is! Sorry...I'm from the pre-computer generation.
I also will look at the Apple product but from what you said it's probably out of my range.
Time Warner is also now saying they're going to charge monthly for the modem, so if they do I will have to consider also replacing that.
Lastly, if I do need help in setting up something like Apple TV, what kind of tech person should I try to find?
Thanks!