Airport Express dropping from Airport Extreme

Everything worked until a few weeks ago when I updated the firmware on an old Airport Express. The expresses (I had 2) started dropping from the network.
I now have a new Airport Extreme, a new modem and a new Airport Express. The Express extends my network. The Express is 30 feet from my main house in a guest house. It is a direct line through the window through the sliding glass doors to the room with the Extreme. In the guesthouse the Express connects to the 2.4 Ghz with a transmit rate between 100 and 150. It works (like it is working now) and then it will drop off the network.
I thought it was conflicting with my security router, which I have completely unplugged to test the Apple network. It still dropped off after working for a while. Sometimes it drops while I am using the network; other times it drops when I am not using it.
I have tried:
setting the channel to different numbers.
hard rebooting everything and resetting up the network.
getting a new modem.
getting a new Express.
getting a new Extreme (had a Time Capsule).
had my cable line redone (the cable folks thought it was frayed and maybe that was the problem).
The Extreme is on WPA2 and is now on automatic channel (having tried fixed ones I am back to automatic).
I'm still having the problem.
Advice? Help or maybe I need to finally give up on Apple, which I have usually loved....

Thanks for your explicit comments iFelix.
No luck yet.
Here is where I stand:
- home wireless network: RedFoxNetwork
-->> Cable modem connected to Airport Extreme, router connected to Airport Extreme
-->> this Network hosts iMac G5 (with iTunes, Airport card), Mac Mini, Windoz XP Dell
-->> uses channel 11
--->> uses WEP
- 2nd network (RedFoxMusic) - as you suggested
-->> this network is hardwired from router above to Airport Express
-->> 2nd network configured as you suggested
---- do not Distribute IP
---- uses channel 2
---- iTunes speakers named "Living Room"
---- no WEP
So now I have 2 networks, RedFoxNetwork & RedFoxMusic, in the Airport menu bar selector on my iMac.
When the iMac is on the primary wireless network, TheRedFoxNetwork, I do not see "living Room" as a choice in the lower right speaker selector in iTunes. Playing music in iTunes produces no music from the living room (hard wired Airport Express connection).
Just for kicks, I select the RedFoxMusic network on the iMac. "Living Room" appears as a speaker choice, ITunes plays over Airport Express & stereo.
What have I missed that I needed to select the second (hardwired) network in order for AirTunes to work properly?
Thanks in advance.
Rob
As I said "never connect to the Airport Express
network", this means "never connect to the Airport
Express network".
If I create a second wireless network, then would
I
need to switch to the network supporting the
Airport
Express?
No
If not, the remote speakers would not
appear in the iTunes Speaker selection dropdown,
correct?
They will appear as the Airport Express is still part
of your network, in fact both wireless networks are
in fact one network, but you want iTunes to go via
the ethernet connection to avoid the dropouts.
Or does the wired connection obviate the need to
switch to the 2nd (iTunes only) network?
Yes.
Which is why I said "never connect to the Airport
Express network".
iMac (iSight), 15GB iPod Mac OS X (10.4.6) 1GB memory

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