here are the single lines to use to check a mysql server + user rights wich I do on every install before I start dealing remotely with the server
1 go into a console, log as root
- this is done with
'ctrl+alt+F2, root login, root password'
2 get to / dir
' cd /'
3 start mysql
'mysql'
- there should not be any problem here, unless you changed the root password, but you didn't

did you ?
4 see what's in your mysql.user table
'use mysql;'
'select * from user;'
if you are on a e-smith 5.6 or above, you should be on a 3.23 mysql version. Therefore, there are 17 fields in you table (host, user,password, + 14 rights columns)
5 create a new admin for remote purposes (I personnally create a new one for any new database I create)
'insert into user VALUES('%','ADMIN_Name',password('HIS_Password'),'Y','Y','Y','Y','Y','Y','Y','Y','Y','Y','Y','Y','Y','Y');'
6 check your new user rights and parameters
'select * from user;'
7 stop and restart you mysqld after exiting
'exit;'
'service mysqld stop'
'service, mysqld restart'
8 you should now be able to connect from anywhere, provided you do not use mysql-front from a windows station, wich doesn't work anymore on e-smith.
9 if you want to use phpMyadmin, put it in an ibay dedicated (mail me or ask the question here, or even check in the forum, this has been discussed many times in the past)
For explaination purpose, I have set this message with all command lines between '', and the

smily stands for enter. please do not remove the '' in the insert statement. Hope I have been clear enough.
