A
radio base station (20) has an internal interface (26) connecting a
radio equipment (RE) (24) and a
radio equipment controller (REC) (22). The
radio base station performs a pre-start-up procedure or method for the internal interface (26). The pre-start-up procedure is preformed preparatory to and / or in conjunction with a start-up procedure for the internal interface. As one of its aspects, the pre-start-up procedure involves storing one or more previously proven combinations of line
bit rate and protocol as stored combination(s) for use on the internal interface. Prior to synchronization of the internal interface, the stored combination(s) are retrieved and included in a temporary available set of combinations of line
bit rate and protocol. Thereafter the start-up procedure for the internal interface is initiated for the purpose of determining
efficacy of the temporary available set. Should synchronization of the
physical layer by the start-up procedure succeed, the pre-start-up procedure uses a valid combination of line
bit rate and protocol in the available set for negotiating between the
radio equipment controller (REC) and the radio equipment (RE). Should the start-up procedure fail, the pre-start-up procedure removes a failed combination of line bit rate and protocol from the set. In another of its aspects, the pre-start-up procedure classifies the temporary available set into plural subsets, each subset of the temporary available set containing combinations of line bit rate and protocol having a same line bit rate. The pre-start-up procedure separately initiates the start-up procedure for the internal interface for each subset. In another of its aspects, the pre-start-up procedure classifies the stored combinations as: (1) a best last time combination of line bit rate and protocol which was involved in a last successful execution of the start-up procedure; and (2) a union all combinations of line bit rate and protocol for which the synchronization of the
physical layer has previously been successful during the start-up procedure. Capitalizing upon this classification, the pre-start-up procedure can use the best last time combination as the temporary available set for initiating the start-up procedure for the internal interface. Then, if the start-up procedure fails, the pre-start-up procedure can resort to using the union of all combinations as the temporary available set for initiating the start-up procedure for the internal interface.