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Senior Manager at a manufacturing company with 10,001+ employees
Real User
Secure, beneficial load balancing, and useful management UI
Pros and Cons
  • "The most valuable feature of Fortinet FortiGate is load balancing. It can provide central management and VPNA. Additionally, it has enhanced our security environment."
  • "Fortinet FortiGate could improve by adding FortiAnalyzer to its solution, we should not have to use another solution. FortiAnalyzer can provide more detailed information."

What is our primary use case?

We use Fortinet FortiGate for a UPP solution. For example, DNS filtering, IPS, and VPN access.

What is most valuable?

The most valuable feature of Fortinet FortiGate is load balancing. It can provide central management and VPNA. Additionally, it has enhanced our security environment.

The management UI is more user-friendly than Cisco's solution.

What needs improvement?

Fortinet FortiGate could improve by adding FortiAnalyzer to its solution, we should not have to use another solution. FortiAnalyzer can provide more detailed information.

I hope that Fortinet FortiGate provides a software define network(SDN) solution.  and provide the interface for the user. If we have the SDN interface we can develop our system to manage Fortinet devices.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using Fortinet FortiGate for approximately one year.

Buyer's Guide
Fortinet FortiGate
March 2025
Learn what your peers think about Fortinet FortiGate. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: March 2025.
842,767 professionals have used our research since 2012.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

Fortinet FortiGate is a stable solution.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

I have found Fortinet FortiGate to be scalable.

Our company is across many locations. For example, Europe, South America, America, China, Taiwan, and Asia. At this moment all of the sites are using Fortinet FortiGate. There are approximately 10,000 users that are using Fortinet FortiGate.

How are customer service and support?

I have not used technical support.

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

I previously used Juniper. I did prefer the Juniper OS but not anymore because the Junos firewall seems not to be very stable. Since Juniper had stability issues is why we went with Fortinet FortiGate.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

There is a license to use Fortinet FortiGate.

Which other solutions did I evaluate?

I have evaluated other solutions, such as Cisco.

What other advice do I have?

I would recommend this solution to others.

I rate Fortinet FortiGate a nine out of ten.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

On-premises
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
Manager IT at Riphah
Real User
Good threat prevention with a straightforward setup and good stability
Pros and Cons
  • "The threat prevention is the solution's most valuable aspect."
  • "The logs need to be better. They need to be more visible and easier to access."

What is our primary use case?

We primarily use the solution for security, including threat prevention.

What is most valuable?

The threat prevention is the solution's most valuable aspect.

The solution's initial setup is very simple and straightforward. It's not hard to implement it.

The stability if the product is very good so far. We haven't had any issues.

The pricing of the product is reasonable.

What needs improvement?

The logs need to be better. They need to be more visible and easier to access.

The VPN features could use some improvement.

For how long have I used the solution?

I've been using the solution for about two years at this point. It hasn't been too long.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

The stability is excellent. We haven't had any issues in that sense. It's not buggy and there aren't glitches. It doesn't crash or freeze. We find it reliable.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

I do not foresee the product being easy to scale. We find it so hard. It does not seem to be possible.

Currently, we have around 15 users and there are five to ten people handling the management aspect of the product.

How are customer service and technical support?

Over the past two years, we really haven't had any issues that would require us to reach out to technical support. The user experience has been good. If we run into little issues, we may reach out directly to the vendors, however, I can't say that I've spoken with technical support. I wouldn't be able to evaluate their services or speak to their level of knowledge or responsiveness for that reason.

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

I've used other solutions in the past, including, for example, Sophos. However, I have found Fortigate to be more reasonably priced and generally much better as a product.

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup is very easy. It's straightforward. We didn't run into any complexities. We were able to set it up without any issues at all.

What about the implementation team?

The initial implementation was handled by the vendors. They were great at assisting us with the process.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

We've found that the cost of the product isn't too high. They are a bit higher than other options, such as Meraki, however, it's still not so bad.

You need to pay for the hardware and then you need to pay for the licensing as well.

What other advice do I have?

We are just a customer. We don't have a business relationship with Fortinet.

We are using the latest version of the solution at this point.

Overall, we've been pretty happy with the solution. I would rate it at an eight out of ten.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

On-premises
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
Buyer's Guide
Fortinet FortiGate
March 2025
Learn what your peers think about Fortinet FortiGate. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: March 2025.
842,767 professionals have used our research since 2012.
reviewer1282434 - PeerSpot reviewer
IT Operations Director at a tech services company with 51-200 employees
Reseller
Stable with an easy initial setup and good documentation
Pros and Cons
  • "The solution can scale well."
  • "The support costs and licensing are sometimes so expensive."

What is our primary use case?

We primarily use the solution for edge protection as well as the VPN and SD-WAN.

What is most valuable?

The solution has many valuable features. We tend to use all of them.

The initials setup is pretty easy.

The solution offers very good documentation.

The solution can scale well.

We've been happy with the technical support we receive.

The product is reliable and stable.

What needs improvement?

The support costs and licensing are sometimes so expensive. They should work on their pricing model.

For how long have I used the solution?

I've been using the solution since 2018. It's been a few years at this point.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

The stability is very good. We don't deal with bugs or glitches. It doesn't crash or freeze. It's reliable.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

The scalability is very good. If you need to scale it as an organization, you can do so.

We have 100 users. They are largely network engineers, however, we have technicians and active users.

We do plan to increase usage in the near future. We have more projects coming up.

How are customer service and technical support?

We've used technical support in the past and we've had pretty good experiences. We're satisfied with the level of support we've received.

Their documentation is always good too. We've accessed cloud documentation via the portal and have found it to be helpful. The articles are very complete.

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

We previously used Juniper. We switched due to the host and the usability of Fortinet.

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup isn't complex at all. We found it to be quite easy. It's straightforward.

The deployment took us about three to four weeks or so.

We use two people for deployment and maintenance.

What about the implementation team?

I handled the implementation myself. I didn't need the help of a reseller, integrator, or consultant.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

The solution is pretty expensive. That said, we see the value of the solution as it provides great value to our organization.

We pay to license the product on a yearly basis.

I'm not sure of the exact amount we pay, however, as it is not an aspect of the solution I handle directly.

What other advice do I have?

We are customers and resellers of Fortinet products.

We work with both on-premises and cloud deployment models.

I definitely recommend this solution to other organizations. We've had a positive experience.

In general, I would rate the solution at a nine out of ten. If the pricing were better, I would rate it higher.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

Public Cloud

If public cloud, private cloud, or hybrid cloud, which cloud provider do you use?

Other
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: Reseller
PeerSpot user
Deputy Manager Of Information Technology at Nitco Limited
Real User
High-performing SSL VPN functionality keeps our users secure while they work from home
Pros and Cons
  • "The most valuable feature is the SSL VPN, as it allows us to connect and it separates this product from other firewalls."
  • "Some of the web policy reports could be improved."

How has it helped my organization?

We use the FortiGate firewall for our centralized management services. We have SAP and there are multiple work-from-home users that connect using the VPN to access it. Also, we have some applications that are hosted on the server and we have assigned a public IP through the firewall for them.

For our server, we have specific some UTM policies, and we have designed access so that it is sectioned by zone.

What is most valuable?

The most valuable feature is the SSL VPN, as it allows us to connect and it separates this product from other firewalls.

The VPN performance with multiple users is very good.

We are able to generate a report where we can see details on exactly what the users are accessing. We can set limits as well as easily analyze what they are uploading and downloading.

What needs improvement?

The only challenge that we are facing is that a good internet connection is required for VPN stability.

Some of the web policy reports could be improved. There are reports generated that show exactly which user is using how much bandwidth, and which sites they have been browsing. We should have a way to show that on a single screen. As it is now, when I click on a user, the information shows on another tab.

For how long have I used the solution?

We have been using FortiGate for more than seven years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

There is no downtime with this solution. The last time the users could not connect to the VPN was an issue with the internet.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

We have not tried to scale FortiGate.

How are customer service and technical support?

We have been in contact with Fortinet several times and the technical support that we have received is absolutely fine.

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

In addition to FortiGate, we are using a Sophos firewall.

How was the initial setup?

The deployment took approximately four months.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

The licensing costs are very low.

Which other solutions did I evaluate?

Previously, we were using Turbo VPN to connect using mobile devices. The problem was that the users would be disconnected when the mobile was in a roaming area, and the connectivity is not as stable.

We moved to a cloud service and assigned a public IP address for that application, and we have cut out the VPN for it. That was a rare issue that we were facing with FortiGate.

What other advice do I have?

This is a good firewall and I have recommended it to some of my colleagues in other organizations, and they have implemented it.

I would rate this solution a nine out of ten.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

On-premises
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
Branch Manager at a computer software company with 11-50 employees
Consultant
Effective bandwidth management saves us money and keeps our customers happy
Pros and Cons
  • "This solution made it very easy to manage our bandwidth."
  • "Compared to some other products, the DLP is not at par for the moment."

What is our primary use case?

Our primary use case for this solution is to manage bandwidth for our customers. This is done by setting the appropriate firewall rules and policies.

How has it helped my organization?

This solution made it very easy to manage our bandwidth. It is important because we do not have to buy additional bandwidth from our ISPs. The rules and policies are set such that our users are happy, and we can maintain our current cost of bandwidth.

What is most valuable?

One of the most valuable features for us is that it is easy to configure. It is also very easy to manage. One of the things we were looking at was a product that is user friendly, and this helps us to generate and analyze the reports we need.

What needs improvement?

I recently saw the new updates that are coming, such as the ability to quarantine a user's machine. Once done, you have the ability to connect to it from the FortiManager Console and you can bring it back online, out of quarantine. This is all very good news.

One of the areas that I feel need improvement is on the DLP (Data Leak Prevention) side of things. Compared to some other products, the DLP is not at par for the moment.

Also, if in the next few years this solution can be made to support HE between models, it would be better.

I feel that improvements can be made on the security side. Sometimes the product does a good job, but sometimes not.

For how long have I used the solution?

More than five years.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

The scalability is good, although I see that some brands are now coming up with an important advancement. Currently, when you want to do HE (High-end), you have to have the same model or a similar model. Some competing solutions are now able to do HE between mixed models.

How are customer service and technical support?

I hardly ever use their technical support, but when I do they are pretty good.

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

Previously we were using SonicWall, and we had no trouble after switching to FortiGate. One of the reasons that we switched is because we needed something that is easy to configure and manage.

One of the problems we had is that we could not get SonicWall to print out a comment. The documentation says that it should be able to, but it was not printing. The currently solution meets this requirement.

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup is straightforward and it is easy to configure.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

In terms of pricing, the cost of the product is important because we do not want to pay for something that is too expensive. At the same time, however, pricing is not as important as manageability and support. I would say that all things considered, the pricing is pretty good.

Which other solutions did I evaluate?

After switching from SonicWall, we did not evaluate options other than the current solution.

What other advice do I have?

We look for a couple of things when selecting a vendor or product. First, we look at the user interface and figure out whether it is easy to manage. We also consider the price because we do not want to overpay. That said, price is not our number one priority; user manageability is. 

We have been using a pretty wide range of products. We have used models such as the Fortinet FortiGate-30E, 51E, 90D, and 200D. They are all pretty good at doing the job that they are configured for. Obviously, the firewall sizing has to be done right, but if the product sizing is done correctly then they will never go wrong.

I have not yet used the cloud access capability, but we do plan on testing it.

After we purchased FortiGate we grew by forty percent, and it was able to continue to perform as it had before.

Overall it is user-friendly, easy to configure, easy to manage, the support is pretty good, they are priced low, and they do the job that you require.

I would rate this solution nine out of ten.

Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
IT Manager at SICOM LTD
Real User
Good pricing, scalable, and helpful for controlling the traffic
Pros and Cons
  • "We were looking for the VPN feature and controlling the inflow and outflow of all the traffic within the site and across the sites. We are also using it for the VPN and VLANs."
  • "It can be a little bit more user-friendly in terms of policy definition and implementation. It seems a little bit complicated, and it could be simplified."

What is our primary use case?

It controls the inflow and outflow of all the communication between different sites and so on. 

We are using its latest version.

What is most valuable?

We were looking for the VPN feature and controlling the inflow and outflow of all the traffic within the site and across the sites. We are also using it for the VPN and VLANs.

What needs improvement?

It can be a little bit more user-friendly in terms of policy definition and implementation. It seems a little bit complicated, and it could be simplified.

When there is a change in the IP address from the ISP, there is some disruption in the service. So, we try to do it when we have the least number of people working, which means very late at night. So, for the time being, it is working fine.

For how long have I used the solution?

We have been using this solution for nearly a year.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

Apart from the disruption in the service because of the IP address change, it has been quite stable.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

We are implementing it phase by phase. Initially, we had one VLAN, and then we added more. So, it is quite scalable, and we haven't had issues with it so far. It has been recommended by the vendor that the model that we have would meet our requirements for the time being. In two or three years, depending on how we expand and how many more resources are required, we might have to look at another version of the device.

How was the initial setup?

It was the vendor who did the initial setup. It was done within the time range that was allocated for the setup. My guess is that it was straightforward.

We are still in the process of implementing the solution. The commissioning has not yet been done. What we had previously is now changed to a new solution and a new way of doing things, and this is still in the implementation phase. Our implementation is being done phase-wise. We do things and tune it until we are happy with it, and then we go to the next phase. So far, it's working fine. 

What about the implementation team?

We have a relationship with the vendor. We discussed what we wanted to do and finally, we selected the product, and after that, it was installed and configured on our premises. 

We have a small team of three or four people for deployment and maintenance.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

Its pricing is fine. It is on a yearly basis. Other than the licensing fee, there is no extra fee.

What other advice do I have?

I would rate it an eight out of ten.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

On-premises
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: Partner
PeerSpot user
reviewer1779540 - PeerSpot reviewer
Security Presales Consultant at a tech services company with 501-1,000 employees
Real User
Straightforward implementation, priced well, and effective proxy mode
Pros and Cons
  • "The most valuable features of Fortinet FortiGate are the ability to work in proxy mode, which other solutions, such as Palo Alto cannot. There are some features that are better that come at no extra license or subscriptions cost, such as basic SD-WAN. The DLT is useful, other solutions have the same feature too, such as Palo Alto."
  • "Fortinet FortiGate could improve by having better visibility. Palo Alto has better visibility."

What is our primary use case?

Fortinet FortiGate is a firewall used for network security.

How has it helped my organization?

Fortinet FortiGate has helped our organization because it provides us with all features that are existing in all the other firewalls, they have a great firewall. Fortinet firewall gives you all the controls you need to control and inspect your traffic from malicious attacks.

What is most valuable?

The most valuable features of Fortinet FortiGate are the ability to work in proxy mode, which other solutions, such as Palo Alto cannot. There are some features that are better that come at no extra license or subscriptions cost, such as basic SD-WAN. The DLT is useful, other solutions have the same feature too, such as Palo Alto.

Fortinet FortiGate can be deployed in the cloud, they have a full portfolio for security. You are able to integrate other Fortinet solutions together to take full advantage of their security portfolio.

The Fortinet FortiGate documentation library and full resources can be reached easily. You can search and find a solution to a problem you might have. Additionally, the overall solution is highly user-friendly.

What needs improvement?

Fortinet FortiGate could improve by having better visibility. Palo Alto has better visibility.

When using Fortinet FortiGate you sometimes have to use the CLI to do some configurations which can be sometimes more difficult than using a GUI that other solutions can use, such as Palo Alto.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using Fortinet FortiGate for approximately 40 years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

The stability is very good in Fortinet FortiGate. If there are bugs or problems the issues are fixed quite quickly with updates. Palo Alto has a similar level of stability, they support their appliance from updates to the OS.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

Fortinet FortiGate has good scalability. You can deploy it in multiple areas and in multiple deployment modes such as firewall, inter-firewall, or core firewall. Fortinet FortiGate has appliances on multiple series that have different performances. You can choose multiple areas or multiple sites.

How are customer service and support?

I have not used the support from Fortinet FortiGate. I have solved the issues I have had from using my own experience.

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

I have used Palo Alto previously.

When comparing Fortinet FortiGate and Palo Alto, they are equivalent to each other. However, Palo Alto is the Gartner Magic Quadrant leader and is easy to deploy. It would be difficult to describe the advantages or disadvantages because they are very similar.

How was the initial setup?

Fortinet FortiGate has simple ways some of the features can be configured, such as VPN and routing protocols. You need additional effort to do it using Palo Alto. Palo Alto has a more detailed required configuration and this is why extra effort is needed.

I would rate the implementation of Fortinet FortiGate a five out of five.

The process of implementation is easy.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

The price of Fortinet FortiGate can be better than others solutions because Fortinet sometimes helps you with the prices. They help the customers buy the solution by providing them a discounted price for good technology to protect their environment from multiple exploitations and network attacks.

Fortinet FortiGate as a less expensive solution than Palo Alto.

I would rate the price of Fortinet FortiGate a four out of five.

Which other solutions did I evaluate?

I have evaluated other firewall solutions.

What other advice do I have?

Fortinet firewalls are a great new generation firewall. Since we are in these pandemic times with the increasing number of remote workers, you need one solution to protect against the additional breaches on a day-to-day basis. This means you need a great SD-WAN solution. Fortinet FortiGate helps by preventing these attacks because it is a secure solution and you have full visibility of the scalability of the traffic. The solution takes the appropriate actions paths based on the FLAs

Fortinet FortiGate is an excellent choice for you to implement as an SD-WAN solution.

I rate Fortinet FortiGate a nine out of ten.

Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
reviewer947427 - PeerSpot reviewer
Technical Architect at a computer software company with 10,001+ employees
MSP
Beneficial centralized management and scalable
Pros and Cons
  • "The most valuable feature is the FortiManager for centralized management."
  • "Fortinet FortiGate could improve if it had a cloud-managed solution."

What is our primary use case?

I am using Fortinet FortiGate as a perimeter internet firewall.

What is most valuable?

The most valuable feature is the FortiManager for centralized management.

What needs improvement?

Fortinet FortiGate could improve if it had a cloud-managed solution.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using Fortinet FortiGate for approximately 10 years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

Fortinet FortiGate is approximately 80 percent stable.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

The scalability of Fortinet FortiGate is good.

How are customer service and support?

The technical support from Fortinet FortiGate is terrible. They can improve.

The presales, account management, and post-sales are the three worst things about Fortinet.

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

I have previously used other solutions such as Cisco, Check Point, and Palo Alto.

The solution I would recommend largely depends upon the environment it is being implemented. We tend to mix and match firewalls, but Check Point tends to be,  easier to manage, but more expensive. Their support is much better than Fortinet's when it comes to pre-sales and post-sales.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

The price of Fortinet FortiGate is better than Cisco, Check Point, and Palo Alto. In terms of pricing, it's probably a better-priced firewall solution overall.

What other advice do I have?

I rate Fortinet FortiGate an eight out of ten.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

On-premises
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: partner
PeerSpot user
Buyer's Guide
Download our free Fortinet FortiGate Report and get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions.
Updated: March 2025
Buyer's Guide
Download our free Fortinet FortiGate Report and get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions.