A method for reducing IP level signaling and radio resource load during the attachment or update L3 of a mobile unit to a cellular wireless communication network is disclosed wherein access network elements and routing network elements are provided, an identification element is transmitted from the mobile unit to one of the access network elements. The identification element indicates a current attachment of the mobile unit to one of the routing network elements. The transmitted identification element is checked so as to determine whether the access network element is provided with a connection to the one routing network element.