A method of operating a communication system comprises exchanging initial communications between a wireless communication device and a communication network over a wireless connection between the wireless communication device and a network access system and a network connection between the wireless communication device and the communication network. The method further comprises performing a plurality of ranging processes to monitor a status of the wireless connection. Upon successfully completing a ranging process of the plurality of ranging processes, the method comprises determining a duration elapsed since the last successful ranging process and processing the duration to determine if the duration satisfies a criteria. The method further comprises, if the duration does not satisfy the criteria, then setting the indicator to indicate that a partial entry process is required to regain the network connection, and in response to the deterioration of the wireless link, processing the indicator to determine if the partial network entry process is required to regain the network connection.