Fortinet FortiGate Reviews

The product's basic firewall feature is one of the best in the market for network security.

The platform's compatibility with Wi-Fi equipment needs improvement. Sometimes, the Wi-Fi units don't work, or one of the networks stops working, and we have to reboot the FortiGate client's endpoint.

I have been working with Fortinet FortiGate for more than ten years now.

It is a reliable solution. I rate the stability a ten. 

Small-scale companies sometimes use the whole UTM solution, which includes antivirus and URL protection. However, enterprise clients usually use additional solutions for those kinds of things.

I rate the scalability a ten. 

The technical support team is responsive and helpful.

The initial setup is easy. Depending on the project, the deployment process can take several days.

The platform generates a good return on investment. 

The product pricing is reasonable. 

It is easy to integrate FortiGate into existing infrastructure. As a firewall, it's one of the best products available today. For other features, we sometimes prefer other vendors, but for firewalls, especially for SMBs, it is a great product.

I rate it a ten out of ten. 

I work with multiple customers. Most are comfortable running IPS within their firewalls rather than deploying it. The standard deployment requires finding a service owner and training them on the platform. However, if I deploy a next-generation firewall with integrated IPS and VPN capabilities, it simplifies things. It's straightforward for someone to manage. Consolidating a VPN server, IPS, and standalone firewall into one appliance can be challenging for many customers. Fortinet's servers are increasingly popular.

Fortinet has serious vulnerabilities. Some of their interfaces are exposed to attacks. Since they are more prevalent, they may attract more attacks and have more vulnerabilities discovered.

If I'm incorporating FortiGate IPS, FortiGate firewall, Forti VPN server, or any other component into an existing Fortinet fabric, I already have a Fortinet analyzer and FortiManager. With this integrated Fortinet ecosystem, stability issues are significantly reduced. Additionally, inserting a standalone Fortinet device is much easier and much more accessible.

Customer support is fine and fairly responsive.

Neutral

We used Cisco products and operated within a Cisco ecosystem. Currently, Cisco is too expensive, but FortiGate IPS does not position itself as premium like Cisco.

The initial setup can be completed within a month with some IT security architecture by replacing IPS.

The product is expensive but comparable to Cisco.

There are limitations to consider, such as the sandbox capacity. Increasing the sandbox limit is essential for better integration with the firewall IPS, facilitating traffic offloading. Since my customers deal with heavy content, we often need to upload content for analysis by the IPS and sandbox. Thus, the system effectively fulfils its intended purpose. However, we do not need to assess features beyond what the customer requires. As long as we meet their specific needs and use case, it's satisfactory.

We're building a network of partners, you know, offering competitive pricing to engage in significant projects. Firewalls are pretty standard. The ecosystem issues may revolve around business support and pricing.

You need more considerable internal resources to manage it. For clients with a robust security solutions team, architects, and skilled developers who handle data and generate similar content, I would recommend Fortinet FortiGate IPS. These individuals should be capable of upgrading their packages and downloading them. If they are comfortable with Docker, they can deploy it as an appliance on a server.

Overall, I rate the solution a six out of ten.

We use Fortinet's intrusion prevention feature to ensure network security. This involves actively monitoring network activity for any suspicious behavior using predefined signatures and other detection methods. The goal is to proactively identify and block known threats to prevent any unauthorized or malicious activity on the network. The majority of our clients operate within the financial and retail sectors.

It seamlessly integrates with the existing network infrastructure, particularly from a firewall standpoint. This integration involves thorough inspection across all interfaces and segmentation layers via the firewall. IPS is utilized for both intercommunication and breakout communications, where it effectively detects and prevents outbreaks through its IP signature-checking capabilities.

It has enhanced the network security posture of our customers.

The performance and accuracy of FortiGate IPS have positively influenced security operations.

The most significant aspect of IPS is self-explanatory as it primarily focuses on intrusion prevention, which is crucial for Fortinet's internal outbreak prevention efforts and ensuring compliance on endpoint devices.

There is room for improvement in being proactive about identifying and integrating new signatures.

I have been working with it for ten years.

It offers excellent stability. I would rate it ten out of ten.

I have a diverse clientele, ranging from international enterprises to several private companies.

I would rate customer service and support eight out of ten.

Positive

The initial setup is straightforward. I would rate it ten out of ten.

We haven't faced any challenges with IPS regarding its deployment or management, it is straightforward. You simply add it to the policy where you want IPS inspection applied and roll it out centrally. This process is quick and can take between minutes to a maximum of an hour, depending on the number of sites involved.

When evaluating ROI based on exposures, it's challenging to quantify. However, there are definite improvements in enhancements and proactive isolation capabilities, particularly in outbreak prevention. These improvements could potentially lead to reductions in downtime, technical service requirements, and other associated costs.

The pricing is reasonable.

My first recommendation for any deployment is always to enable IPS. Overall, I would rate it ten out of ten.

The tool's most valuable feature is IPS. In my experience, I haven't encountered any issues with integration. It easily integrates with the FortiGate solution. However, verifying through documentation and assessing their support is necessary.

Its interface user-friendliness is good. When we present this interface to customers, they find it easy to understand and manage.

Support for courses available on the platform

I rate FortiGate's NGFW's stability a ten out of ten. 

The tool's scalability is good and it has helped our company. I rate it a ten out of ten. We have around 3 customers and 500~800 users. 

There has been a delay in support where I had to wait for a day to receive a response. I believe I might not have used the correct procedure, leading to inaccurate information. Consequently, I did not receive the prompt answer that I was expecting.

Positive

The Cisco Firepower is less stable compared to FortiGate NGFW. Cisco Firepower has a complex interface. 

The solution's deployment is easy. 

The tool's pricing is neither cheap nor expensive. Overall, I find it to be competitive in the market.

I recommend FortiGate NGFW because its interface is easy to understand, making firewall deployment and management straightforward. It has a good market reputation and offers information on cybersecurity, including news, threats, etc. I rate it a ten out of ten. 

Our standard practice involves tailoring deployments to meet specific customer needs. Typically implemented at the network edge, FortiGate SWG addresses diverse security requirements. Use cases include securing online services, protecting internal servers in a DMZ for LAN user access, and employing a segmented approach where different firewalls safeguard distinct zones, collaborating to manage and pass traffic for unique security needs. One of the firewalls also serves as the primary filter for internet traffic.

Web filters, particularly web application controls, grant us the ability to regulate user access effectively. Among the various features, I find web application control and IPS to be the most valuable.

There's room for improvement in the interface, especially following their upgrade to version nineteen. The issue arises from the increased complexity, where tasks like defining the NAS require navigating a separate window, and regular policy configurations are done in a different window.

I have been using it for seven years.

I would rate its stability capabilities nine out of ten.

Regarding scalability, I would rate Fortinet highly, giving them eight out of ten due to the effectiveness of their new hardware, which greatly enhances scalability. We've carried out installations for a variety of setups, spanning from small to medium-sized deployments.

I would rate its technical support services seven out of ten.

Neutral

WatchGuard deserves credit for offering multiple options, including a client base and a comprehensive reporting feature, all within a unified license and toolset.

I would rate the initial setup six out of ten in terms of complexity.

The deployment can take up to a week but typically can be done in a couple of days.

We essentially customize implementations based on the customer's chosen appliance. The cost varies depending on the specific appliance they purchase. We provide coverage for whatever they acquire, and throughout the year, we pay different amounts to various vendors. The cost has increased since the update so I would rate it eight out of ten.

In terms of reliability and security, FortiGate stands out. WatchGuard excels in additional features, offering the best reporting and various configuration options. While Sophos is also strong in security, I would rate it slightly lower than FortiGate. Overall, I would rate it nine out of ten.

We use Fortinet FortiGate SWG to secure both Internet-facing and internal applications.

The web solutions are the most important features.

The solution could add API protection.

I have been using Fortinet FortiGate SWG for a year.

The product is stable.

The solution is scalable.

Support is good.

Positive

The deployment depends on the requirements. It takes a minimum of one day to complete.

The initial setup is managed by a partner.

Three to four people are enough for setup, depending on the tools. You need a network engineer, a partner, and a firewall engineer to install.

The product is expensive. It comes with a yearly subscription, which includes support and everything.

Maintenance is easy. One person is enough to do the regular maintenance, but two are suitable for feasibility.

The product is good. It does the job of what is said. It is very stable and reliable. One should consider based on the POC and their requirement, but for our requirement, FortiGate was the one to go for.

We use it for Internet-facing applications and web-based applications. We use it more as a web solution. There might be other use cases or other requirements for other companies.

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

The product provides a good user experience.

Fortinet FortiGate SWG's costs need improvement. Also, there could be an efficient feature for solution consulting to answer queries related to architecture design.

The product is highly stable.

The product is suitable for enterprise customers. The solution architecture takes a bit of time to scale as it is a new product in the market. The customers need more experience working with it. I rate its scalability a five out of ten.

FortiGate provides the technical support services. However, customers have an SLA agreement with us, and we have an SLA agreement with FortiGate. Thus, it takes longer to establish efficient communication between them.

Neutral

The platform requires a few months to design the architecture.

The product is expensive compared to Cisco.

I recommend Fortinet FortiGate SWG and rate it an eight out of ten.

I’ve worked with network and security information since 1999. My use cases for FortiGate are in the telecom environment. In my experience, we have used Fortinet to connect sites. I’m working with an SMB in São Paulo, and we work with small equipment. I have a project to define a model from the end products, and to do that I’m working with a local network to deploy our services. After defining this product, I wire the product through my team so they can make configurations. Sometimes, I work directly with configuration, with third level support.

FortiGate’s connectivity and the SD-WAN is perfect. Likewise, the WiFi ports from Fortinet are very strong.

FortiGate's connectivity for small businesses is not as strong as it can be. If Fortinet includes more information and marketing to small businesses, their presence will be improved.

I have 15 years of experience with Fortinet.

The solution is very stable and doesn’t have any problems.

They are very good and they are quick at solving problems. I have had no problems with them.

Positive

I work with a distributor in Brazil, and their people have a lot of experience with the technology and they are good to work with.

The cost depends on the equipment required. The cost is okay.

Compared with Sophos, for example, Fortinet is similar but simpler to access and the licenses are easier and start using the solution. Sophos’ technology is very similar, but Fortinet has a stronger name and better technology for our technicians.

In Brazil, there is no doubt that Fortinet is the leader when it comes to security solutions. Fortinet works better in a scenario with more of one presented from the same customer. There are many options from other brands for the same customer. When users need one solution to stay securely connected to many sites, Fortinet works well. 40% of all purchases are Fortinet, while another 30% are Sophos and another 30% are Cisco.

I rate FortiGate NGFW a nine out of ten.

In my company, we use the product for the help it provides us in terms of SD-WAN, site-to-site VPN, RADIUS authentication, web filtering, application control, SSL inspection, and remote access.

The most valuable features of the solution are SD-WAN and site-to-site VPN.

In version 7.2.0, the product offers built-in automation to its users. Earlier, there was no automation offered for the product. Nowadays, the product sends automatic emails to users as a part of its offering to let the users know whenever there is a need for automatic backup when the ISP goes down and the interface status. The automation can be further improved.

Fortinet's support team consists of a huge networking team, because of which there is a delay in response at times. Fortinet's support team needs to improve their time management skills.

I have been using Fortinet FortiGate SWG for five years and six months. My company has a partnership with Fortinet.

It is a scalable solution since the product offers a FortiGuard server that detects vulnerabilities and ensures such detection of vulnerabilities also involves FortiGate.

My company currently works with basic and mid-level sized businesses.

Whenever our company's customers face any issue with the product, we offer our own support team. Fortinet also has its own support team. If required, our company lodges complaints and the issues faced by our customers with Fortinet. Fortinet's support team initiates the replacement if there is a hardware issue with the product. The solution's technical support is good. I rate the technical support an eight out of ten.

Positive

The product is easy to install since we only need to follow the user manual, documents, and articles provided by Fortinet to install the product.

The solution is deployed on-premises.

Just getting the product up and running can take up to forty-five minutes to an hour. The full setup process is carried out based on the requirements of our company's customers, and it can be done in half an hour to forty-five minutes if it is only for basic internet.

In our company, we need around ten engineers for the maintenance and deployment of the solution. The maintenance of the solution is easy since we keep getting constant updates which we can easily use to update the product.

I am unaware of pricing since I am a part of the networking team. My company's sales team manages pricing.

My company basically provides Fortinet FortiGate SWG to our customers. If our company's customers are looking at Palo Alto products, we have another team in our company to provide them with the same. I am an engineer for Fortinet products and can provide support only for Fortinet. There are different sets of engineers managing Palo Alto products.

In Fortinet, you only need one license for all the products. In Palo Alto, for Palo Alto Secure Remote Access, you need to buy a separate license, while there is a need to buy a separate license for Palo Alto SD-WAN. I feel Fortinet products are better since they come in a bundle. With Fortinet, customers don't need to buy different licenses. One can get all the features by installing a single bundled license offered by Fortinet, allowing one to use SD-WAN, site-to-site VPN, remote access web filtering, SSL inspection, and application control.

I rate the overall solution a nine out of ten.

We used Fortinet FortiGate IPS as a perimeter firewall in our data center and offices. Major offices with more than 50 people were using Fortinet FortiGate IPS.

Fortinet FortiGate IPS has an easy-to-use interface and configuration. The solution supports protocols like OSPF and BGP.

The solution’s stability could be improved because we sometimes face some drops. It was not due to the box, but it was due to some misconfiguration on our end.

I have been using Fortinet FortiGate IPS for three years.

I rate Fortinet FortiGate IPS a nine out of ten for stability.

Fortinet FortiGate IPS is a very scalable solution. We had very few users using the solution in our data center. Around 50 users use the solution in our offices.

The solution's technical support is quite good.

The solution's initial setup is quite simple. We could transfer the configuration file from the earlier FortiGate, and we were up and running in a very short time.

Fortinet FortiGate IPS was deployed in our organization through a vendor. Since Fortinet FortiGate IPS is very simple to use and very easy to configure, its deployment time is very less.

You can recover the investment of Fortinet FortiGate IPS in a short time. The solution is not that pricey.

Fortinet FortiGate IPS' licensing is quite simple to understand.

Before choosing Fortinet FortiGate IPS, we evaluated Check Point. We chose Fortinet FortiGate IPS because Check Point was quite pricey.

We used the latest version of Fortinet FortiGate IPS.

We require a basic network engineer for the deployment of Fortinet FortiGate IPS.

Overall, I rate Fortinet FortiGate IPS an eight out of ten.