A method for re-establishing a communication link that has been lost between a portable unit (406) and a fixed unit or base station (402) provides for a way of quickly re-establishing the lost communication link, on the previously used RF channel. The method is begun by transmitting a link re-establishment code word (900) using MUX 1 after determining that synchronization has been lost (502) for a predetermined period of time (504). This is followed by automatically switching the portable unit (406) from MUX 1 to MUX 3 communication protocol. Followed by re-establishing communication (re-establish synchronization) between the portable (406) and base station (402) in MUX 3 and switching the two communication devices (402 and 406) back to MUX 1 after the communication link has been re-established. The same steps can be followed by base site (402) if it had been the first to detect loss of the communication link.