Extend Time Capsule Wireless Range

I am having trouble with my Time Capsule's wireless range. I am not a networking expert by any means. I own an old building that is 4 stories connected by stairs with thick walls. All the rooms ethernet cables converge in a cubby on the 3rd floor. I placed my Time Capsule in the cubby, but I couldn't receive a wireless signal from the 1st floor. This is ironic because I have an old Netgear G router that sends signals throughout all 4 floors. So I bought an Airport Express to extend my network wirelessly, but the signal has been unstable perhaps because the Time Capsule's wireless signal is too weak. So I want to connect the Airport Express on the 1st floor using the Ethernet link from the 3rd floor Time Capsule which is my main router. From my research, I discovered about WDS networks, which I believe you have to use in order to create a network with multiple Apple base stations linked through ethernet.
I called Applecare who told me:
-To connect from Time Capsule to Airport Express using Ethernet, must use WDS network. Setup Airport Express as Relay, NOT Remote.
-Relay- Direct ethernet connection from Time Capsule to Airport Express, then wireless connection from Airport Express to Macbook.
-Remote- Wireless signal from Time Capsule to Airport Express, then direct Ethernet connection from Airport Express to Macbook
I have several questions for you wise people out there:
1. To extend the Time Capsule wireless network using the Airport Express, but connected directly via ethernet, do I need to setup a WDS network?
2. I prefer to just use the simple Apple settings "extend network wirelessly". Will this setting only boost a wireless signal received from the Time Capsule? Can it not extend a wireless signal sent directly from Ethernet?
3. I'm considering getting a Quickertek Triband antenna to place outside the cubby. Anyone have any experience with Airport external antennas?:
http://www.quickertek.com/products/timecapsuletriband.php
Any information would be much appreciated! These networking issues have been giving me months of headache.
Thank you!
Alexander
Specs:
Apple Time Capsule 1TB
Airport Express N version
Connected with 2.4ghz. band to N capable Macs.

Extending your network with an AirPort Express (AX) won't boost the TimeCapsule's (TC's) range per se. It will expand the network's range by adding another transceiver.
If you'd prefer to avoid using Ethernet to connect the TC and AX, you might get a better signal on the first floor if the AX was on the second floor, i.e, roughly halfway between the TC and the 1st-floor computer. [Extending the range of an 802.11n network|http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?path=AirPortUtility/5.1/en/ap21 24.html] describes how to configure them.
If an Ethernet linkup is no problem, though, that should work even better. In this case, it's best to use different (by 3 or more) channels on the 2 stations to reduce the chance that they'll interfere with each other.
Either way, it's best to use the same network name, network password, and encryption on both stations so you can roam freely through the building without needing to switch manually between them.
[Designing AirPort Networks 10.5-Windows manual|http://manuals.info.apple.com/enUS/Designing_AirPort_Networks10.5-Windows.pdf] is another good resource you may find helpful.

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    Message was edited by: Bob Timmons

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