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Fortinet FortiAuthenticator vs Fortinet FortiNAC comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive Summary

Review summaries and opinions

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:
 

ROI

Sentiment score
5.8
Fortinet FortiAuthenticator is valued for breach prevention, offering compliance benefits, though financial returns vary in measurability.
Sentiment score
8.5
Fortinet FortiNAC enhances security and ROI by efficiently managing device access, reducing costs and configuration time significantly.
 

Customer Service

Sentiment score
8.0
Fortinet FortiAuthenticator's customer service is responsive and knowledgeable, but initial support may need escalation for complex issues.
Sentiment score
8.2
Fortinet FortiNAC's support is helpful but has delays, knowledge gaps, and lacks UK coverage; satisfaction varies around 7-9/10.
At times, some technical staff lack knowledge, which delays issue resolution.
When we send a ticket to Fortinet, they go into research mode as if they are hearing the problem for the first time.
They provide sessions to help with various questions.
 

Scalability Issues

Sentiment score
7.6
Fortinet FortiAuthenticator is highly scalable, easily expanding users, though minor challenges exist, typically rated 8-9 in scalability.
Sentiment score
7.9
Fortinet FortiNAC is scalable and adaptable, effectively managing various enterprise sizes, though licensing costs can be challenging.
The scalability of FortiAuthenticator is good, and I would rate it an eight on a scale of one to ten.
The pricing model makes it challenging as the cost is substantial due to the per-node licensing model.
 

Stability Issues

Sentiment score
7.8
Fortinet FortiAuthenticator is highly stable with minor issues under heavy load, praised for integration and reliability.
Sentiment score
8.0
Fortinet FortiNAC receives mixed stability reviews, with performance improving over time but some users preferring alternative solutions.
 

Room For Improvement

Fortinet FortiAuthenticator needs improved user interface, easier configuration, better integration, increased automation, and enhanced cloud, support, and customization features.
Fortinet FortiNAC users face challenges with integration, user interface, support, and cost, citing a high learning curve.
For example, authentication for wireless users expires after 24 hours, requiring re-authentication daily.
I would like to see more integration and inclusion of features for ransomware protection directly within the FortiAuthenticator without requiring additional devices.
The technical support could be improved as some staff lacks the necessary knowledge to assist effectively.
Improvement in the interface design would make FortiNAC a better solution.
 

Setup Cost

FortiAuthenticator provides cost-effective, flexible licensing with competitive pricing, often cheaper than competitors, despite market-driven price fluctuations.
Fortinet FortiNAC offers competitive pricing with various licensing options, providing good value despite initial high costs per device.
 

Valuable Features

Fortinet FortiAuthenticator provides user-friendly authentication, integration with FortiGate, flexible options, and centralized management enhancing security and efficiency.
Fortinet FortiNAC excels in network visibility, integration, security, user-friendliness, and adaptability, with strong support and automation.
We use multi-factor authentication for enhancing security.
The most valuable feature I find in FortiAuthenticator is web filtering.
I appreciate the feature where it can connect with different vendor equipment, regardless of the network devices from other vendors.
 

Categories and Ranking

Fortinet FortiAuthenticator
Average Rating
8.0
Reviews Sentiment
7.0
Number of Reviews
59
Ranking in other categories
Single Sign-On (SSO) (6th), Authentication Systems (3rd), Identity Management (IM) (7th), Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) (3rd)
Fortinet FortiNAC
Average Rating
7.6
Reviews Sentiment
7.4
Number of Reviews
54
Ranking in other categories
Network Access Control (NAC) (3rd)
 

Mindshare comparison

Fortinet FortiAuthenticator and Fortinet FortiNAC aren’t in the same category and serve different purposes. Fortinet FortiAuthenticator is designed for Single Sign-On (SSO) and holds a mindshare of 10.1%, up 10.0% compared to last year.
Fortinet FortiNAC, on the other hand, focuses on Network Access Control (NAC), holds 18.2% mindshare, up 15.4% since last year.
Single Sign-On (SSO)
Network Access Control (NAC)
 

Featured Reviews

Rias_Majeed - PeerSpot reviewer
Once configured properly, it runs smoothly with minimal potential for misconfiguration and enhances security by providing two-factor authentication
Customer service and support are helpful, but in the last few years, I've found that the first-level support isn't able to understand the issue. They escalate to the tier-two level, who are able to resolve it. On the first level, it takes time. Maybe they have grown too big and aren't able to give each network the unique attention it deserves. We customize some implementations, and at that time, they're not able to help because the people supporting are new and not from the field. The training seems fine, but in practice, it's different. Their support is not that great anymore. A little arrogance is there. It doesn't qualify them very well if there's arrogance in their communication. They do not understand the issue. That's why you're coming back to support. For example, one issue I'm facing is when a person leaves the organization without handing over details. They'll send an email to that person, but that person is not available. How are you going to access this email? These are a few instances where we are finding it difficult, and they take more than a week or two to resolve some issues. Their support used to be very good, but now that they're on top, they're not as responsive at the first-level support.
Batu Akalin - PeerSpot reviewer
I like the solution's native integration with other devices from the same vendor
I like FortiNAC's integration with other Fortinet devices. They work together well, but the solution also works with other network devices. FortiNAC has improved our security posture because we made some use-case scenarios for unauthorized devices. When unauthorized device IDs enter our network, and the associated team sees a new device, they can block the attackers.
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Computer Software Company
18%
Government
8%
Financial Services Firm
8%
Comms Service Provider
8%
Educational Organization
35%
Computer Software Company
10%
Manufacturing Company
6%
Financial Services Firm
6%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
 

Questions from the Community

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Fortinet FortiAuthenticator?
The cost of FortiAuthenticator is rated high due to market conditions. Nevertheless, I rated its cost an eight on a scale of one to ten.
What needs improvement with Fortinet FortiAuthenticator?
The technical support could be improved as some staff lacks the necessary knowledge to assist effectively.
What is the biggest difference between Aruba ClearPass and FortiNAC?
I've done quite a lot of work with ClearPass, and not a lot with FortiNAC/Bradford. ClearPass incorporates a number of different functions including ClearPass Guest for creating complex wireless g...
How does Cisco ISE compare with Fortinet FortiNAC?
Cisco ISE uses AI endpoint analytics to identify new devices based on their behavior. It will also notify you if someone plugs in with a device that is not allowed and will block it. The user exper...
What do you like most about Fortinet FortiNAC?
The support responds to our queries within two to four hours.
 

Also Known As

FortiAuthenticator
FortiNAC, Bradford Networks, Bradford Networks Sentry, Network Sentry Family
 

Learn More

 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Black Gold Regional Schools, Amadeus Hospitality, Jefferson County, Chunghwa Telecom, City of Boroondara, Dimension Data
Isavia, Pepperdine University, Medical University of South Carolina, Columbia University Medical Center, Utah Valley University
Find out what your peers are saying about Microsoft, Cisco, Ping Identity and others in Single Sign-On (SSO). Updated: January 2025.
831,020 professionals have used our research since 2012.