I cannot get the radtest to work and this seems to be an integral part of continuing.  I can now do a mysql –u radius –p radius and get into mysql.  Resetting the password and FLUS PRIVILEGES helped there.

I have created a user, atkinsd, on the radius database in radcheck.  

If I do a radtest atkinsd cisco123 localhost 1645 SHARED, I still get the same error.  Why?  

[root@cleveland raddb]# radtest atkinsd cisco123 localhost 1812 xxxxx (I have tried both 1645 and 1812 with no luck)

Sending Access-Request of id 225 to 127.0.0.1 port 1812

        User-Name = "atkinsd"

        User-Password = "cisco123"

        NAS-IP-Address = 255.255.255.255

        NAS-Port = 1812

Re-sending Access-Request of id 225 to 127.0.0.1 port 1812

        User-Name = "atkinsd"

        User-Password = "cisco123"

        NAS-IP-Address = 255.255.255.255

        NAS-Port = 1812

rad_recv: Access-Reject packet from host 127.0.0.1:1812, id=225, length=20

rad_decode: Received Access-Reject packet from client 127.0.0.1 port 1812 with invalid signature (err=2)!  (Shared secret is incorrect.)

[root@cleveland raddb]#