Methods of re-establishing a connection between a radio network node and a core network having a control plane entity and a user plane entity in a communication network and of detecting faulty communication paths or re-started entities in such networks are provided. A control-plane entity sends an event in accordance with a media gateway control protocol to the user-plane entity that orders the user-plane entity to notify the control-plane entity when user-plane traffic is received from another network node or when a faulty path or re-started peer is discovered. In response to an order by the control-plane entity, a connection between the radio network node and the user-plane entity can be re-established. Heartbeat messages and heartbeat acknowledgment messages are sent through a communication path, and if a heartbeat acknowledgment message has not been received, the control-plane entity is notified of the faulty path. The heartbeat acknowledgment messages may include re-start counter values that are used to discover re-started peers.