1. A mobile device, comprising: a processor; a wireless interface in data communication with the processor; and logic in data communication with the processor and the wireless interface, the logic configured to cause the mobile device to: detect a connection failure with a first cell; locate a set of candidate cells for possible association with the mobile device; determine whether a candidate cell in the set of candidate cells is the first cell previously associated with the mobile device; when the candidate cell is the first cell: evaluate the first cell using one or more suitability criteria, the evaluation based at least in part on information for the first cell stored in the mobile device prior to the detected connection failure, and associate with the first cell when the first cell satisfies the one or more suitability criteria; and when no candidate cell in the set of candidate cells is determined to be the first cell: receive suitability criteria for one or more candidate cells in the set of candidate cells, determine whether an identified candidate cell in the set of candidate cells satisfies received suitability criteria for the identified candidate cell, and associate with the identified candidate cell when the identified candidate cell satisfies the received suitability criteria for the identified candidate cell.