FortiGate Next Generation Firewall (NGFW) Reviews

It is a firewall solution, so we utilize it regarding policies and security.

The solution is user-friendly and easy to operate.

The solution should have more security features and come with VPN authentication and multi-virus authentication.

We used the previous model, FortiGate 600D. So, I worked with that. I have been using the solution for three years.  We just procured the new solution, but we need to install it right away.

The solution is stable. I would rate the stability of the solution an eight out of ten because there are some issues with security features and aspects like logs not being up to the mark, as well as some challenges with VPN and multiple functionalities.

It's a scalable solution. I would rate the scalability a nine out of ten. There are around 600 users in our organization using this solution. We have plans to increase the usage up to 2000 users. 

The customer service and support team is good. Their response time was great.

The initial setup is straightforward. It has been in use for three years. It may take around four days to make it functional.

Typically, it can be up and running in just one day. However, due to a lack of expertise, it took a bit longer.

I got a consultant to help with the deployment process. One person is enough for the solution; it can be an admin. 

I have definitely seen an ROI. 

I don't want to get the full license as the technology is changing day by day. So, I have I prefer to procure a five-year license, and that's it.

We have used Microsoft Office and Cisco Switches. We have been using the FortiGate firewall.

I advise the users to compare the solution with existing versions before using it.

Overall I would rate the solution an eight out of ten. I would like add more security features to the solution.

We use the solution as an internal gateway to protect some of our data center solutions.

The solution has the best group filtering features.

The solution's technical support could be better. Also, its hardware features need improvement as well.

We have been using the solution for five years.

It is a stable solution.

The solution is scalable. We have medium and small businesses as our clients.

The solution's technical support team's response could be faster.

The solution's initial setup process is easy. A new environment takes two to three days, while an existing one takes more time to implement. Also, it requires ten executives to deploy it and three to six executives to maintain it.

The solution's price is average. We have its yearly license. There are additional costs for support and license renewal.

It is a good solution. I rate it a seven out of ten.

We use the solution for security.

User identification and application identification are valuable features.

The product keeps hanging. One of our customers was unhappy because it didn’t work sometimes.

I have been using the solution for six years.

The solution is not stable for small companies.

The tool is scalable. Our customers are small, medium, and enterprise-level businesses.

The technical support is good.

Positive

I also work with Palo Alto and Cisco. Each product has its advantages and disadvantages. Palo Alto has a lot of features. It provides application identification features and big data analysis. Palo Alto is more stable than FortiGate.

The initial setup is very easy. It takes us some days to deploy the solution.

We need about six people to deploy the solution. It is easy to maintain the product.

I would recommend the solution to others. The product is for commercial clients like the oil and gas sector. It might not be suitable for banking. Overall, I rate the product a seven out of ten.

The primary use case is branch network security.

The solution has helped our organization to secure a network and connect remote sites. 

The most valuable feature is the technical support by FortiGate.

There is an area of improvement in the pricing model and vulnerability management. 

In future releases, I would like to see partnering with cloud suppliers. 

I have been using this solution for less than a year. 

I would rate the stability a seven out of ten. 

I would rate the scalability of this solution a seven out of ten. 

Customer service and support are good. 

Positive

The initial setup was complex. 

I have not seen an ROI yet. We do have plans to increase the usage in near future.

I would suggest not to look for a single solution for all your security requirements and compare the pricing. 

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

FortiGate NGF is used to protect customer networks. 

FortiGate NGF is simple compared to other firewalls. It is easy to use and you don't need any training. Any person with basic firewall knowledge can use it. 

The solution needs to integrate VPN features. 

I have been working with the product for two years. 

The product is stable. 

FortiGate NGF is scalable. The number of users depends on the project and can be around three users. 

FortiGate NGF's support responds fast. 

I use Palo Alto and Check Point as well. 

The tool's setup is easy. We used one resource to handle the deployment. The tool's deployment can take around one to two days to complete and depends on customer requirements. 

I would rate the product a nine out of ten. 

We use the solution for multiple firewalls like edge and data center firewalls.

The solution’s interface is pretty user-friendly. It's easy to come up with policies and basic configurations. It is pretty straightforward.

Once in a few months, there is a vulnerability in the OS. The product has to be upgraded every few weeks.

I have been using the solution for three years.

I rate the stability an eight out of ten.

Our customers range from small to medium businesses. I rate the tool’s scalability a ten out of ten.

Support is amazing.

Positive

I rate the ease of setup a nine and a half out of ten.

On average, deployment takes two or three days. Usually, a person from the customer’s side and I deploy the solution.

The product is a good choice. It will not be a headache for the IT team. It is very common on the market. Overall, I rate the solution an eight out of ten.

I use the FortiGate firewall for ordinary firewall functions, including SSL inspection, VPN, and site-to-site VPN.

The most valuable features of the FortiGate firewall include SSL inspection, VPN functionality, and threat intelligence features for preventing threats. These features are essential and provide significant functionality for our organization.

There should be more testing before releasing software since it can be a little buggy sometimes when new features come out after updates.

I have been working with the FortiGate firewall for many years.

I am satisfied with Fortinet support. Usually, it is fast and provides advice effectively.

The initial setup of FortiGate was an easy process. It took about three months for a full deployment across the entire organization.

The FortiGate firewall provides good value for the money. It usually is cheaper than the competition, contributing to cost savings.

The pricing of the FortiGate firewall is good. It offers cost savings as it is generally cheaper than the competition.

Palo Alto is an alternative solution. While it may be better for filtering and category white-listing, especially in areas like banking, it is more expensive than FortiGate.

Overall, I would rate FortiGate an eight out of ten. 

For some use cases like banking, Palo Alto may perform better due to its filtering capabilities.

We use different solutions from FortiGate, focusing primarily on their firewalls within our department. However, due to a reorganization, the operational maintenance of FortiGate is now managed by someone else.

The most helpful features of FortiGate include its firewall policy, specifically the user-based policy, which I find to be quite beneficial in managing our network security effectively. FortiGate has also provided reliable protection against many attacks, although it lacks the ability to detect specific attacks like SQL injection, which usually requires a web application firewall.

The main area needing improvement is the user-friendliness of FortiGate's integration with other Fortinet tools like FortiAuthenticator and VPN services. Configuring these services is quite complex and not very user-friendly, requiring technical steps that are difficult for normal users to understand. Fortinet support's resolution of issues is slow, and the research on making the solution user-friendly needs to progress further.

I have worked with FortiGate for more than eight or nine years.

We have not faced any stability issues with FortiGate since we specified sizable RAM and CPU, and our size was adequate for our traffic.

Fortinet provides a prompt response. However, the resolution process is slow. While their response time is quick, their ability to resolve issues takes a long time.

Neutral

We have previously used a solution called Cyberoam, which has been replaced with a new brand. There are also managed firewalls offered as a cloud solution that we have not considered yet.

In terms of cost-effectiveness, Fortinet tools like FortiGate are costly for us as a higher education institute in India. Our expenditure is focused on minimal levels, however, FortiGate's pricing is positioned for corporate levels, which can be inflexible.

We are considering replacing Fortinet with a different solution, taking about a year to change configurations and rules.

Fortinet should consider developing a pricing scheme for the education segment since educational institutions in India operate on non-profit terms and under government regulations. They could potentially follow Kaspersky's example, which provided a more affordable pricing model for students and educational institutes. 

As a product, I would rate FortiGate around seven out of ten.