Apparatus and method for synchronizing a user device to the network station

A method (600) and user device (500) are for communicating data from the user device by transmitting (615) a synchronizing preamble having no timing advance, the synchronizing preamble (260) comprising a base sequence that has been cyclically shifted by N shift index durations. The user device receives from a network station (305) a response (620) that indicates that a preamble was received from the user device having the base sequence cyclically shifted by N-1 shift index durations. The user device determines (625), based at least partially on the response, that corrective action is appropriate. The user device performs one of transmitting (635) a modified form of synchronizing preamble, transmitting (640) the data as a data message having a timing advance, and barring (645) further attempts to transmit the data to the network station for a defined duration.