Most likely the RFID reader uses the SPI bus and the ethernet shield uses the SPI bus. If you're not careful with how they are being initialized and used, you will run into data collisions on that bus. Try seeing if the RFID reader works without the ethernet shield.
freaklabs:
Most likely the RFID reader uses the SPI bus and the ethernet shield uses the SPI bus. If you're not careful with how they are being initialized and used, you will run into data collisions on that bus. Try seeing if the RFID reader works without the ethernet shield.
What ethernet shield? OP said nothing about an ethernet shield.