Methods, apparatuses and computer readable media are described that determine a connection state between a mobile wireless device and a wireless network upon detection of an interruption of a connection between the mobile wireless device and the wireless network. The mobile wireless device transmits an uplink resource allocation message to the wireless network, and when receiving no response to the uplink resource allocation message, transmits a random access message to the wireless network. When receiving no response from the wireless network to the random access message, the mobile wireless device executes a radio link failure procedure. In an embodiment, the uplink resource allocation message includes a unique identifier for an existing radio resource control connection between the mobile wireless device and the wireless network.