I use Fortinet FortiGate for my customers to have a secure network.
Specialist of IT Solutions at InterNexa
Highly scalable, good support, and simple configuration
Pros and Cons
- "The most valuable feature of Fortinet FortiGate is the simple configuration."
- "Fortinet FortiGate can improve the integration with Active Directory. Additionally, I would like to have a Cloud Controller, such as they do in the Cisco Meraki solution."
What is our primary use case?
What is most valuable?
The most valuable feature of Fortinet FortiGate is the simple configuration.
What needs improvement?
Fortinet FortiGate can improve the integration with Active Directory. Additionally, I would like to have a Cloud Controller, such as they do in the Cisco Meraki solution.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using Fortinet FortiGate for approximately two years.
Buyer's Guide
Fortinet FortiGate
December 2024
Learn what your peers think about Fortinet FortiGate. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: December 2024.
824,067 professionals have used our research since 2012.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
I have found Fortinet FortiGate to be stable.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
Fortinet FortiGate is scalable.
How are customer service and support?
The technical support from Fortinet FortiGate is good.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
I have used Cisco solutions previously.
How was the initial setup?
Fortinet FortiGate is simple to implement. We have five engineers and five analysts that do the implementation and maintenance of the solution.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
The price of Fortinet FortiGate could improve, it is expensive.
What other advice do I have?
Overall Fortinet FortiGate is a good solution.
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
Head Of Technology at a tech consulting company with 51-200 employees
Secure, good integration, and responsive technical support
Pros and Cons
- "FortiGate has a very strong unified threat management system."
- "If they could extend their fabric towards other vendor environments for integration, that would be great."
What is our primary use case?
We are a system integrator and Fortinet FortiGate is one of the products that we have implemented for our clients.
It is primarily used for VPN and remote access. More recently, we have been using it for SD-WAN.
How has it helped my organization?
This is a versatile solution and with it, we can offer our customers multiple functionalities. The Fortinet fabric goes across the entire enterprise.
What is most valuable?
The most valuable features are the security and the integration with the entire Fortinet product line, from access points to switching.
FortiGate has a very strong unified threat management system.
What needs improvement?
I would like to see integration into other systems. That would be really great for me. The fabric works well only if you're using other Fortinet devices, but they're not exactly the best in terms of switching or access points. If they could extend their fabric towards other vendor environments for integration, that would be great.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been working with Fortinet FortiGate for the past few years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
This is a very stable product.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
Fortinet FortiGate is very scalable.
We have implemented it for 13 or 14 customers.
How are customer service and support?
I am familiar with technical support and they're very responsible. I haven't had any issues with them so far.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup is straightforward. The length of time required for deployment depends on the customer's environment and use cases.
What about the implementation team?
We handle the deployment and maintenance of this product for our customers. We use the Fortinet tools, such as FortiManager and FortiAnalyzer to maintain it.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
Licensing is usually on a three-year period.
What other advice do I have?
Overall, this is a very good solution and in fact, a good starting point for a broader cyber security approach for the business.
I would rate this solution a nine 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
Buyer's Guide
Fortinet FortiGate
December 2024
Learn what your peers think about Fortinet FortiGate. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: December 2024.
824,067 professionals have used our research since 2012.
IT Operations Director at a tech services company with 51-200 employees
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
IT Manager at Hadef & Partners
Simple, intuitive interface, with good support
Pros and Cons
- "What I like the most is the configuration and that it's simple, and straightforward to maintain."
- "The pricing could be reduced or include the first year warranty."
What is our primary use case?
The primary use case of this solution is as a firewall and UTM machine.
What is most valuable?
What I like the most is the configuration and that it's simple, and straightforward to maintain.
The UTM configuration on-premises is straightforward and simple to use.
Support is good and the interface is simple and intuitive.
What needs improvement?
It's good, and I feel that there is nothing more that can be added.
The pricing could be reduced or include the first year warranty.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been working with Fortinet FortiGate for more than five years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
It's a stable solution. I have not had any issues with it during the time that I have been using it.
How are customer service and technical support?
Technical support is quite good. They have helped me with all of my requests.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup is straightforward.
It took approximately one day to deploy.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
They are very competitive, but we like to have the factory warranty taken care of.
We had to pay a large amount for the first year contract and support.
What other advice do I have?
I would recommend this solution to others who are interested in using it.
I would rate Fortinet FortiGate 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.
Has a friendly GUI and CLI to access its many features
Pros and Cons
- "The features that we have found most valuable are the SSL VPN and the User Portal."
- "This product could be improved with Active directory integration and better handling in IPsec and GRE Tunnels."
What is our primary use case?
We primarily use this solution for our firewall, Application Control, QoS, IPSec, and SSL VPN.
How has it helped my organization?
This solution has a very friendly GUI and CLI as compared to other vendors.
What is most valuable?
The features that we have found most valuable are the SSL VPN and the user Portal.
What needs improvement?
This product could be improved with active directory integration and better handling in IPsec and GRE Tunnels. There are not enough recent online materials to assist in integration with Cisco for VPN, GRE, and IPSec.
For how long have I used the solution?
One to three years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
Our experience with this solution is that it is stable and reliable.
Which other solutions did I evaluate?
We found the user interface to be better than what is found in other products.
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
Solutions Architect at Universal Access and Systems Solutions
Optimizes security on the network and protects the company from attacks from outside
Pros and Cons
- "Fortinet FortiGate is a security device. It can optimize security on the networks of a company. It actually protects the company from attacks from outside. With FortiGate, you can categorize the users. You can create a group of users that can access all of the websites for their work. You can limit other users' access."
- "Scalability is one of the disadvantages. When it comes to scalability, you have to actually change the box. If you want to upgrade it, you need to actually change the existing box and probably you take the system off to other sites."
What is our primary use case?
We use Fortinet FortiGate as the firewall for our networks and as a security device. Fortinet FortiGate is used in our organization for:
- making policies
- security profiles
- identity management
- blocking applications on websites
- making objects
- future groups
- user management
- network reports
- data analytics
- other stuff
FortiGate is not just a security solution, but also a network solution, because it can do SD-WAN which provides innovation to security.
How has it helped my organization?
Originally, I used Fortinet FortiGate for SD-WAN. There is actually a feature for the SD-WAN. I could find a port and use it for SD-WAN. Then I also used FortiGate for security rules.
We implement solutions categorizing the insurers by Fortinet, i.e. what are the network users that are allowed in this particular instance or for these particular policies.
We program every port you can set the policies on with Fortinet FortiGate. You can actually see the users that access the particular website and govern the rules for web traffic.
What is most valuable?
First and foremost, Fortinet FortiGate is a security device. It can optimize security on the networks of a company. It actually protects the company from attacks from outside.
With Fortinet FortiGate, you can categorize the users. You can create a group of users that can access all of the websites for their work. You can limit other users' access.
It can also do detailed reporting and analytics that comprise information from recorded events on the network by traffic location, device, IP address, etc.
What needs improvement?
Flexibility is questionable when it comes to the hardware parts. If Fortinet can make FortiGate modular so that you can actually upgrade it without changing the parts, I would prefer it.
If Fortinet FortiGate could actually integrate with the hybrid cloud architecture without changing the storage parts, i.e. the hardware, it would be better.
For how long have I used the solution?
One to three years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
The Fortinet FortiGate solution is 81% stable. I would say it is very flexible. I would grade it an eight or nine.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
Scalability is one of the disadvantages. When it comes to scalability, you have to actually change the box. If you want to upgrade it, you need to actually change the existing box and probably you take the system off to other sites.
With FortiGate, if you want to upgrade, it is physical and you have to buy a bigger box. You have to replace it with a bigger one. The boxes of Fortinet are not modular, so you have to replace the entire box. That's one of the bad sides of Fortinet.
When it comes to security, it's not really possible if the other solution is actually plausible.
How was the initial setup?
The deployment of Fortinet FortiGate is complex. It depends on how long you are going to maintain the network of the client. For us, it would only take a day or two.
What about the implementation team?
We are resellers of Fortinet products.
What other advice do I have?
The Fortinet FortiGate solution has to have a system-wide update for improvements. First and foremost, you need to have a patch. You have to continually improve FortiGate by having continuously updated patches applied.
Then always check for the admin reports from Fortinet that the patch was applied. When it comes to the features of this device, I would rate Fortinet FortiGate an eight out of ten.
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
Head of IT at CGP
Next-Generation Advanced Firewall Protection
Pros and Cons
- "Mainly the FortiGate reporting system is very good. It guides us through all the expectations of security. Fortinet provides us all that we need for security. Also, Fortinet FortiGate is a next-generation firewall. It is much more advanced than others."
What is our primary use case?
Our primary use of Fortinet FortiGate is for a firewall. I use it as the firewall system and protection from spam. I mainly use Fortinet FortiGate for protection and security.
How has it helped my organization?
Mainly the FortiGate reporting system is very good. It guides us through all the expectations of security. Fortinet provides us all that we need for security. Also, Fortinet FortiGate is a next-generation firewall. It is much more advanced than others.
What is most valuable?
I like all of FortiGate's features.
What needs improvement?
The FortiGate reporting system needs to be more detailed about files. Palo Alto Networks is more detailed in the reporting system than Fortinet.
Currently, as for our security, we don't need more. The main reporting in Palo Alto Networks is much more developed than Fortinet, especially in the part of the file exchange.
As a security lead, I think Fortinet FortiGate is much more reliable than Palo Alto Networks.
For how long have I used the solution?
Three to five years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
The Fortinet FortiGate solution is very stable for our installations.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
The scalability of Fortinet FortiGate is sufficient. What we bought was sufficient for what we need. I don't know if we're going to need to upgrade it or not, it depends on if we need to increase or lessen it.
Since we built Fortinet FortiGate we didn't need to do anything more for it. Over 200 users are currently using this solution and only one staff is required for maintaining it.
How are customer service and technical support?
The Fortinet technical support is very good.
How was the initial setup?
Setup and installation of Fortinet FortiGate were very straightforward. The deployment stage took five days. We used an integrator company and they were very good.
What about the implementation team?
We implemented Fortinet through a third-party integrator company.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
With Fortinet licensing, you have to buy a license for every product: for the stamp, for the email, for the firewall, for everything. This is all the same for all vendors. You have to buy a license for each service.
In terms of pricing, they are reasonable compared to Palo Alto Networks. FortiGate is much cheaper than Palo Alto Networks with more efficiency in operations.
Which other solutions did I evaluate?
We talked to several vendors like Cisco and Palo Alto Networks. There was another system and they gave us a test drive for a week running it on their premises to see how reliable it is.
We tested Cisco, a next-generation firewall, two years ago. We also tested the Palo Alto Networks equipment.
What other advice do I have?
We may increase our usage of Fortinet next year.
I would recommend to anyone to buy Fortinet FortiGate. I would rate the product ten out of ten.
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
IT Manager at Soporte Antivirus Ltda
Enables us to check our sites and emails for threats
Pros and Cons
- "We can use our devices to check all of the perimeters. It secures email websites."
- "They need to improve their technical support."
What is our primary use case?
Our primary use case is for checking sites, threat prevention, ransomware, and email check.
How has it helped my organization?
We can use our devices to check all of the perimeters. It secures email websites.
What needs improvement?
They need to improve their technical support.
For how long have I used the solution?
One to three years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
The stability is good.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
It's scalable. We have 22 users.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
We were previously using Sophos XG.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup was easy. The implementation took around two hours.
What other advice do I have?
I would rate it an eight out of ten.
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: Partner.
Buyer's Guide
Download our free Fortinet FortiGate Report and get advice and tips from experienced pros
sharing their opinions.
Updated: December 2024
Popular Comparisons
Netgate pfSense
OPNsense
Cisco Secure Firewall
Sophos XG
Palo Alto Networks NG Firewalls
Azure Firewall
Check Point NGFW
WatchGuard Firebox
SonicWall TZ
Juniper SRX Series Firewall
Untangle NG Firewall
Fortinet FortiGate-VM
SonicWall NSa
Sophos XGS
Fortinet FortiOS
Buyer's Guide
Download our free Fortinet FortiGate Report and get advice and tips from experienced pros
sharing their opinions.
Quick Links
Learn More: Questions:
- Comparison of Barracuda F800, SonicWall 5600 and Fortinet
- Sophos XG 210 vs Fortigate FG 100E
- Looking Into Implementing a Web Security Solution.
- Cyberoam or Fortinet?
- Fortinet, Palo Alto or Check Point?
- What Is The Biggest Difference Between Cisco ASA And Fortinet FortiGate?
- Cisco Firepower vs. FortiGate
- We're trying to choose between Fortinet or Checkpoint UTM firewalls. Can you help?
- What Is The Biggest Difference Between Fortinet FortiGate and Meraki MX Firewalls?
- What Is The Biggest Difference Between Fortinet FortiGate and WatchGuard XTM?