Here is the protocol I use, it has always worked:
ToSC v.5512
for the Tales and dx8 patch:
http://www.bioware.com/games/tales_s...pport/patches/
I've played with people from England, Belgium, Italy, and Australia, just to name a few, and when some players are using the international patch while others use the US/Canada patch it really should not pose a problem. You just make sure to use the patch that is appropriate for you.
For dx8:
http://www.microsoft.com/directx/hom...ds/default.asp
I would recommend using dx8.0a rather than dx8.1 because the BG series and the BG dx8 patch are written when 7.0 and 8.0 were out. Some people report no problems at all using dx8.1 but you may run into some problems if you use dx8.1, especially if playing online with other players.
no Roger Wilco
no firewall (temporarily disable or configure ports as indicated to connect)
you can do multiplayer with Dark Side but all need to have it installed
Good luck!