FortiGate Next Generation Firewall (NGFW) Reviews

As for us, the IPS and the application control feature are the most valuable.

Maybe the room for improvement is to have more flexibility on the virtual machines of their next-generation platforms. 

So far, FortiGate is really pricey and comes with some restrictions. FortiGate NGFW can enhances that to make it easier to be deployed.

I have been using the latest version of FortiGate Next Generation Firewall (NGFW) for eight to ten years.

As for the stability of the FortiGate Next Generation Firewall (NGFW), I would rate it a nine out of ten.

The scalability of the FortiGate Next Generation Firewall (NGFW) is good. In our organization, we have our data centers having FortiGate, and our customers are selling FortiGate. So the number of users, you can say 100 in my organization.

I would rate the scalability an eight out of ten.

I don't have premium support or something from their side, but I would like basic support.

Neutral

The deployment depends on the architecture, but simple deployment can take up to five to ten minutes, and you are done. It's an easy deployment when you know what you need, actually. It requires one person to deploy it.

I would rate the initial setup an eight out of ten.

I would rate the pricing of appliances. So, outside appliances are maybe four, but the virtual machine is, like, eight. It is too expensive for virtual licenses.

We evaluated Sophos and WatchGuard in the past. Fortunately, definitely and technically, for the supposed deployments using the platform is much easier and much more efficient.

My advice would be just go for it. It is a really nice solution, scalable and stable, most importantly. It is easy to use, and all the security features are available. Also, it is very flexible for all sorts of deployments. I would recommend it certainly compared to any other firewall providers.

Overall, I would rate the solution a nine out of ten. 

In order to make it even better in the future, improved integration with other vendors' solutions could be beneficial.

FortiGate is compatible enough with other infrastructures, but I encountered difficulties when attempting integration with other infrastructures. So, better compatibility could be an area for improvement.

Another area of improvement could be in terms of changing passwords. For instance, when using FortiGate firewall, you can have the option to set up SSL VPN, allowing users to connect to the network externally. It's like using FortiClient software. But here's the thing, when you have a local account on FortiGate, and you use it to access the network, there is no option to change your password, and that becomes a problem. Especially when you are not using Active Directory and instead relying on the local FortiGate database to create accounts. 

The admin creates the account for you with credentials and a password. But when you try to access using the VPN client software, you have the ability to change your password, and that's not ideal. It's quite challenging. So, if you need to change your password, you have to contact the administrator to change it on the equipment, and that's not convenient, especially in large environments. So, that could be the only solution.

In terms of personal experience, I've been using the product for about seven years. In my current company, it has been three years.

I'm using version 7 for the majority of my equipment, and for some products, it's version 6.6 or something similar.

The product is stable. It offers good stability.

It is a scalable solution. 

The customer service and support have been satisfactory so far.

Positive

FortiGate Next Generation Firewall (NGFW) is easy to deploy. The deployment process is smooth and straightforward.

In my experience, the ROI has been positive.

The price of FortiGate Next Generation Firewall (NGFW) is affordable. I believe it offers reasonable value for the features it provides.

If you're using the IPS version, particularly for ATP, the price is higher due to the IP functionality. However, for other features like web filtering, the price is reasonable. For a year, the license cost for ATP is around $8000. 

So far, I haven't had to pay separately for maintenance or support. It's usually included in the support package, including software support.

Overall, I am satisfied with the product. I would rate it a nine out of ten. 

If you are using it in a small environment, you can go for the FortiGate product. However, if you are implementing it in a very large environment or have specific needs, it's recommended to couple FortiGate with another vendor's solution, like Cisco or Palo Alto. 

We use the product for security and filtering purposes.

The product helps block multiple ports during ransomware attacks.

FortiGate Next Generation Firewall (NGFW) 's most valuable features are reporting and filtering.

The product's data guard feature should support a USB port when the internet connection is unavailable.

We have been using FortiGate Next Generation Firewall (NGFW) for three years.

I rate the platform's stability a ten out of ten.

Our organization has 500 FortiGate Next Generation Firewall (NGFW) users. We utilize the platform 24/7. I rate its scalability a ten out of ten.

The platform's initial setup process is easy. I rate the process a ten out of ten. It takes a couple of days. The deployment involves integrating it with SSO in FortiGate. It helps with filtering access to user accounts through Active Directory. One executive is required for deployment. Additionally, one executive is needed to take care of packet updates for maintenance.

We implemented the product with the help of our in-house team.

I rate FortiGate Next Generation Firewall (NGFW) an eight out of ten.

We use FortiGate Next Generation Firewall first and foremost for the main site's security, remote sites, and establishing the connection between the firewalls they use. More recently, we have been using it when implementing SD-WAN.

The total ownership of equipment has several benefits when using one platform for administration. Training is then more focus-oriented to technology like Fabric. From the operations point of view, we have better savings by using this solution.

I like the common administration and the possibility of adding Fortinet defense systems.

I see problems with the licensing. If I have to add a new feature, we need to add a license. There may then be extra costs for our maintenance budget.

I have been using the solution for the past five years.

Fortigate is very stable.

FortiGate is a very scalable solution.

We used SonicWall. We switched to FortiGate looking for better security technology, and better fabric technology based on security. In this approach, FortiGate is still better than SonicWall.

With the initial setup, it's important to sit with the team to establish the application and the main issues to get the best possible script to implement in Fortinet equipment. We had to spend some time to implement it better.

Deployment could take one week, depending on the site, or even three weeks to implement the solution. Around four people were involved in the deployment.

We contacted an external company to provide some professional services through engineers who have better experience in certain kinds of implementations.

The pricing is better compared to other solutions like Check Point, Arista, or Cisco.

To anyone who plans on supporting this solution, refer to training resources in the Fortinet training center. There are people who have some experience that could provide some guidelines to people who start with basic issues and basic tasks, to then grow with experience by implementing some maintenance windows. I rate FortiGate Next Generation Firewall a nine out of ten.

I use FortiGate Next Generation Firewall for network protection using its DMZ network.

The solution has helped our network security.

There are multiple features I have found to be valuable, such as encryption and integrated security features.

The management consoles can be improved. I have used them before, and they are not so good.

I have been using FortiGate Next Generation Firewall for over two years.

I would rate the solution eight out of ten points for stability.

I rate the solution eight out of ten points for scalability. Over 200 people use it, some of whom are in IT.

I used Palo Alto more than a year ago at my previous job.

The initial setup was easy, I rate it a nine out of ten. Deployment took several days, involving one or two people. The steps involved in the process are design, configuration and implementation, testing and implementation, and also some fine-tuning.

I would rate pricing to be about four or five out of ten, it is reasonable.

I recommend this solution because the price is reasonable and the performance is quite good. Overall I rate the solution an eight out of ten.

We are a distributor of Fortinet products. My role primarily involves importing these products and delivering them to our partners and resellers, who in turn sell them to the end customers.

FortiGate is a rapidly growing vendor with a wide range of ready-to-use products. Their delivery time is remarkably quick, usually between two to four weeks. They provide excellent support, especially when it comes to helping resellers who may encounter implementation issues with Fortinet. The technical presales and support teams are readily available to assist them. So, there are definitely several benefits to working with Fortinet.

The interface, pricing, and support are good. FortiGate release new patches and offers regularly. In the integration file, they don't have anything to add because they have a very wide portfolio and models in the next-generation firewalls. FortiGate has a variety of add-on license tools that can be applied to the firewall.

FortiGate should continue to push them to continue to grow up as they've been growing for the last eight years.

FortiGate NGFW can improve technical support. The engineer who answers the technical support call, email, or phone call, whatever the medium may be. The response time is very bad.

I have been working with FortiGate Next Generation Firewall for eight years. 

We don't have broken devices to be repaired or replaced with new ones, so they are very stable while working.

I rate the solution’s stability a ten out of ten.

I rate the solution’s scalability a ten out of ten.

We have all types of business models and customers in our portfolio, such as the midsized business, enterprise, entry-level, and small businesses. We are working with all of that with all of the Fortinet solutions.

The customer support is very slow. The engineer who answers the technical support call, email, or phone call, whatever the medium may be. The response time is very bad. 

On the other hand, Cisco takes one or two hours to respond, while Fortinet takes a few days. This is an area that they could improve on a global scale.

Neutral

The initial setup of the solution is easy, which is the most important feature for in-domain-wide resellers, partners, and customers. In the end, if you want to use Fortinet as a firewall administrator in your network, it is highly recommended because it is extremely easy to set up, especially for first-time users.  

Even if you have previous experience with Cisco or Check Point, setting up Fortinet is easy. It is a very user-friendly configuration.

I rate the solution setup a ten out of ten. It is very user-friendly.

FortiGate Next-Generation Firewall is cheaper than Cisco or CheckPoint or Palo Alto and more expensive than Barracuda or Sophos or any smaller brands. The prices fit right where they are on the global market.

I advise you to buy it ASAP because it's a very good product.

From my experience as a distributor, some customers don't buy technical support on the devices. They buy only devices. I will advise them to buy the technical support of FortiCare service. In that case, they will have technical support by phone call, or by mail. They will have a replacement if anything is broken 24/7.

Overall, I rate the solution an eight out of ten.

There are numerous features and benefits depending on the specific use case. Fortinet offers comprehensive security solutions for various purposes. I can deploy different solutions and more. 

There is room for improvement in pricing. 

I have almost five years of experience with FortiGate NGFW. I work with the firewall for small businesses and enterprises. Currently, I'm using the enterprise version.

As for the models, I mainly use FortiGate 6800, T, 100C, 200S, and 200P.

I haven't experienced any stability issues with this product so far. It handles everything it needs to, including server requirements, client services, and computing, without any problems. I have deployed numerous firewalls, and until now, they have been incredibly stable. There haven't been any issues related to version compatibility either. So, I would say it's stable for me.

I would rate the scalability a ten out of ten. 

Customer service and support are good. Every time I have reached out to them, they have been responsive and helpful. In fact, I have even shared news and deployment information on my LinkedIn to showcase their excellent support.

The initial setup was easy. There were no issues during the setup.

The time taken for deployment depends on various factors. For example, if I deploy it today, I might install it the following day. However, if there are any issues with the network architecture provided by the IT vendor, it may take more time to resolve those issues before completing the deployment. But in terms of deployment alone, without considering logistics, it can be done in a day or a few hours.

In our market, the pricing is a little expensive. While we can acquire a smaller package of Fortinet, it still comes at a high cost. So, I would say the pricing is on the higher side. However, when comparing it with other vendors, it's still more reasonable.

Overall, I would rate the solution an eight out of ten. A rating of ten would require even more efficient reporting and swift resolution of any breakout or resilience attack. If they can provide faster fixes and proactive responses, it would be perfect.

Our clients use the solution to ensure their environment is secured on all the layers. The application layer all the way to the networking. That's one of the main reasons they use the product in their environment.

It's a seamless product, and it's not buggy. The updates we receive from FortiGate are one of the most important features. The product is user-friendly and not complex.

The solution must improve the support provided for customers around the globe, considering the time differences in different places. The product could add some functionalities and features provided by its competitors to stay ahead in the market.

I have been using the solution for two years.

The product is stable. We haven't had issues so far. I rate the stability a nine out of ten.

The solution is scalable in most cases. It all depends on the customer's requirements. We haven't yet come across a situation whereby scaling is not possible. Our clients are small, medium, and enterprise businesses. Currently, one of our customers is not able to reach the specific level of scalability that they require so far. I rate the scalability an eight out of ten.

The support is great. However, support needs to improve constantly. Even though they are good, they should try to stay ahead of the competitors.

Positive

The solution is easy to install. The ease of setup depends upon the customer’s requirements. I rate the ease of setup a ten out of ten.

The time to deploy the product depends on the clients’ requirements because we have to work hand in hand with the service provider. If we have to terminate a link on the firewall and everything from the networking perspective is all in place, it might just take a couple of minutes to deploy.

We need just need one to three engineers to deploy the solution. It depends on the magnitude of the client. The solution requires maintenance. More than three people are needed to maintain the product.

The product is a little bit expensive. The certifications cost $400. Other vendors provide it for an average of $200 to $300. The product has an annual licensing fee. Additional costs depend on the user's requirements.

People looking to use the product must ensure they have enough engineers who know how to work with it. Overall, I rate the solution a ten out of ten.