Ok. So assuming you've got internet connectivity and can browse the internet from the laptop what exactly is the problem?
When you say, "you can't access your e-mail" do you mean:-
1. You can't connect to Orange's website to retrieve your mails? or
2. You can't login to the website? or...
Is this a web-based e-mail account (e.g. hotmail) or a corporate account running off your company's own e-mail servers? Have you ever been able to access it from your laptop?
In that case I can highly recommend a Netgear DG834G which has a 4-port switch for your wired devices. I've installed a couple of these for friends and family in SOHO environments and they are very good wrt reliability. I'm pretty sure you can pick them up for around £40 these days, so will not...