Basic Fax Question

When entering a long distance fax number, where do I place the "1" that I need for one plus dialing? Do I place it in front of the fax number or do I place it in the space that asks for a prefix? Also, does it matter if I place "-" in the fax number or should I just enter it a a string of digits with no spacing or punctuation?

Also, what does a message "waiting for modem to become available" mean? I have a cable internet connection so I don't use the phone modem for that purpose. Thanks.

Regards,
Steve M.