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Ino Vitra - PeerSpot reviewer
Assistant Operation Manger at IIJ Singapore
Reseller
Top 5
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Helps secure complex environments through strong integration and security features
Pros and Cons
  • "The product has been very stable, based on my ten to eleven years of experience."

    What is our primary use case?

    I primarily use it for the Nextiva SIM firewall and the website application firewall. We strive to serve our customers, including utilizing the SD-WAN feature in FortiGate in our office.

    What is most valuable?

    The features that are beneficial for failure mitigation and security include PPN and firewall security. The integration of multiple networks, especially in complex environments such as the finance and manufacturing industries, makes FortiGate valuable. In these industries, it can be difficult to implement and integrate several applications.

    What needs improvement?

    Currently, I am working on improvements. One of the main areas is the processing and integration of new features. In my opinion, refreshing the CPM technology with zero-trust access could enhance its performance.

    For how long have I used the solution?

    I have used the solution mostly for maybe ten years.

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    What do I think about the stability of the solution?

    The product has been very stable, based on my ten to eleven years of experience. When I propose FortiGate to customers, hardware problems have been minimal, which suggests a reliable performance.

    What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

    Scalability is well-supported, with the notable ability to implement features easily. FortiGate offers robust scalability options.

    How are customer service and support?

    I find the customer service to be good.

    How would you rate customer service and support?

    Positive

    How was the initial setup?

    The initial setup typically takes three to five days.

    What other advice do I have?

    Sometimes, questions arise about the backup position, especially regarding firewall operations. FortiGate, placed next to Nextiva SIM, excels in terms of pricing and operational efficiency. Customers can easily troubleshoot with great technical support. I would rate it nine out of ten.

    Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

    Hybrid Cloud

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

    Amazon Web Services (AWS)
    Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: reseller
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    reviewer1255635 - PeerSpot reviewer
    Head of the Satellite Infrastructure and Operation System Department at a government with 1,001-5,000 employees
    Real User
    Download
    A user-friendly firewall solution with a valuable domains feature
    Pros and Cons
    • "What's most important is the ease of use."
    • "Backup can be improved."

    What is our primary use case?

    We use Fortinet FortiGate mainly for firewall and VPN purposes. 

    What is most valuable?

    The virtual domains feature and the ease of use.

    What needs improvement?

    The Fortinet support needs improvement and also the quality control of the firmware (there are a lot of bugs)


    For how long have I used the solution?

    I have been using Fortinet FortiGate for about 10 years.

    What do I think about the stability of the solution?

    Fortinet FortiGate offer a good value for money solution


    What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

    Fortinet FortiGate is scalable. We don't have any constraints that create a problem for us except the support.

    How are customer service and technical support?

    The major problem with Fortinet is the support. We have often hardware malfunctions and software bugs and the support is slow.

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

    We also use another firewall vendor product

    How was the initial setup?

    The initial setup was easy.

    What about the implementation team?

    The implementation was through a international integrator team

    What was our ROI?

    Fair

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

    The price is fair compared to the other competitors.

    Which other solutions did I evaluate?

    No

    What other advice do I have?

    They have many features

    On a scale from one to ten, I would give Fortinet FortiGate an eight.

    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.
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    CB
    System Administrator at Udenar
    Real User
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    A complete solution, but it is very expensive compared with other solutions

    What is our primary use case?

    We use FortiGate for edge protection by avoiding attacks to the servers of the institution, also, by protecting the LAN network.

    How has it helped my organization?

    Having FortiGate allowed for easy management of the network, protection from threats by having a very intuitive administration console.

    What is most valuable?

    The most important feature for me apart from the administrator is the UTM module because it protects the equipment of the entity in a very efficient way.

    What needs improvement?

    FortiGate is a complete solution, but it is very expensive compared with other solutions. Then actually, we are analyzing other solutions.

    For how long have I used the solution?

    More than five years.

    Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
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    EH
    Works at El loco hugo
    User
    Download
    It has improved our organization with control data
    Pros and Cons
    • "It has improved our organization with control data."
    • "The reports are very basic."

    What is our primary use case?

    We use it because it is a good device.

    How has it helped my organization?

    It has improved our organization with control data.

    What is most valuable?

    The rules.

    What needs improvement?

    The reports are very basic.

    For how long have I used the solution?

    More than five years.
    Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
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    PeerSpot user
    Senior Consultant at Unify Square
    Real User
    FortiGate security appliances provide UTM security in a single device with a good administrative interface and performance
    Pros and Cons
    • "A strong point of FortiGate is that the graphical interface is complete and easy to use, especially if we think there is a list of operations that we are able to perform inside."
    • "With FortiGate, the main complaint that I have heard is about the technical support."

    We're discussing a family of UTM (Unified Threat Management) appliances.  FortiGate is a term which includes a wide range of products, starting with small ones dedicated to small offices, and developing into devices which are able to grant security and networking for large companies. The family includes physical devices and virtual machines, which grant network security on different layers using a single point of control. FortiGate is optimized to avoid bottlenecks or delays while the various controls are performed. High availability is also part of the available features with various solutions to avoid single points of failure. 

    In the following short list, I will list some interesting points about the FortiGate solution. 

    1. Administrative Interface

    If you are experienced with network security management, you are aware this activity requires interaction with many different software and hardware solutions from disparate vendors. In the aforementioned scenario, it is normal to have frequent updates to apply on the various products and to watch more than one monitoring tool to keep track of security events. The FortiGate solution includes all the controls you could expect using a patchwork of security products in a single device with a single administrative interface. It is your switch, router, firewall, VPN hub, antivirus, anti-spam, proxy, and endpoint security solution all-in-one. 

    If you define a network object or group for firewalling purposes, it will be available to define antivirus rules or internet browsing policies. There are two administrative interfaces:

    • Web-based manager (a graphical interface usable through a web browser);
    • CLI (a command line interface).

    A strong point of FortiGate is that the graphical interface is complete and easy to use, especially if we think there is a list of operations that we are able to perform inside.

    If you have used appliances or firewalls from other vendors, often you have to use not-so-friendly command lines to obtain the exact result you need. With FortiGate, you will use the CLI seldomly and only for the most “exotic” features.

    2. UTM, the Fortinet way

    Unified Threat Management may be complex to manage, because you work on different protocols, at different layers and with disparate threats to consider. In FortiGate, you can have three great layers:

    • Networking services (switching and routing, both static and dynamic);
    • Network security services (firewalling, secure VPN connection, intrusion detection and endpoint security);
    • Application security services (spam and virus controls, web filtering, application control and data leak prevention).

    As long as you pay (and renew as it expires) the “bundle” license, you have all the aforementioned features available, including the updates for signatures and definitions coming to your appliance directly from Fortinet. You do not have to use all the available controls, but you are able to turn them on and off “On Demand”, so you could start with a simple configuration and add control layers when you feel more comfortable.

    3. Virtual Domains

    One of the available features include the capability of a FortiGate to support many Virtual Domains (VDOMs). VDOMs enable you to grant access to different companies with different administrators on the same physical unit. Each one will be able to keep their specific configuration with no impact on the others. What you are doing is creating “virtual units”, and keeping on a “root domain” which is used to manage the virtual domains. VDOMs add a lot of flexibility to the solutions that you are able to plan using FortiGate.

    4. High Availability and Resiliency

    There are four different ways to make a FortiGate unit have high availability. You could use a traditional “cluster” design with two or more units: FortiGate Cluster Protocol (FGCP), a solution with an external load balancer: FortiGate Session Life Support Protocol (FGSP), a Layer 3 resiliency solution like Virtual Router Redundancy Protocol (VRRP), or a Layer 2 solution like Fortinet Redundant UTM Protocol (FRUP). Again, we have a great deal of flexibility to design the best solution for our company’s needs.

    5. The Dark Side of the Moon

    It would not be fair to review a product omitting the negative points. With FortiGate, the main complaint that I have heard is about the technical support. My personal experience is the same as many people who are not happy with this aspect of the service offered by Fortinet. Often, your problem is diverted to local partners. I have to say that I have had mixed results with them. While some partners are professional, many are not skilled enough and I have had costs that are not equivalent to their quality. This is the same issue with other vendors, but that is not an excuse. As long as Fortinet support sends me to a local reseller or partner, from my point of view, they are taking responsibility for their capabilities.

    Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
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    reviewer690582 - PeerSpot reviewer
    reviewer690582COO/CTO at a pharma/biotech company with 11-50 employees
    Real User
    Report as inappropriate

    I had my data speed compromise confirmed by my paid support subscription.

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    it_user454521 - PeerSpot reviewer
    Deputy Chief Manager at a newspaper with 5,001-10,000 employees
    Vendor
    Download
    It has given us improved security over the internet. It is easy to use with a single console and unified threat management features.
    Pros and Cons
    • "Unified Threat Management (UTM) features."
    • "NGN, reporting and controls."

    How has it helped my organization?

    It has given us improved security over the internet.

    What is most valuable?

    Ease of use, single console, Unified Threat Management (UTM) features.

    What needs improvement?

    NGN, reporting and controls.

    What do I think about the stability of the solution?

    We had some stability issues but we upgraded.

    What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

    There was a hardware limitation, affecting scalability.

    How are customer service and technical support?

    I would rate the technical support as 8/10.

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

    We had a different solution in the organization arising from different OEMs and this solution was chosen with consideration of requirements and costs.

    How was the initial setup?

    The initial setup was simple but the DC was complex.

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

    Go for long term pricing negotiated at the time of purchase.

    Which other solutions did I evaluate?

    We evaluated Check Point, Cisco ASA.

    What other advice do I have?

    You should be clear concerning the scope and outcome you are looking for.

    Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
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    Arf Wu - PeerSpot reviewer
    Manager at Readytech
    Reseller
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    Straightforward setup, scalable, and good support
    Pros and Cons
    • "Fortinet FortiGate is a scalable solution."
    • "The stability of Fortinet FortiGate could improve."

    What needs improvement?

    In an upcoming release, Fortinet FortiGate should add an SD-WAN feature.

    For how long have I used the solution?

    I have been using Fortinet FortiGate for approximately five years.

    What do I think about the stability of the solution?

    The stability of Fortinet FortiGate could improve.

    What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

    Fortinet FortiGate is a scalable solution.

    How are customer service and support?

    I am satisfied with the technical support from Fortinet FortiGate.

    How was the initial setup?

    The initial setup is straightforward.

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

    The price of Fortinet FortiGate is reasonable.

    What other advice do I have?

    I am satisfied with the solution.

    I rate Fortinet FortiGate an eight out of ten.

    Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer:
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    reviewer1197741 - PeerSpot reviewer
    Group IT Infrastructure Manager at a manufacturing company with 1,001-5,000 employees
    Real User
    Download
    A scalable and stable solution
    Pros and Cons
    • "Fortinet FortiGate is a stable solution."
    • "I would like to see improvements with the antivirus and IPS as they are not working properly all the time."

    What is our primary use case?

    We are a sister company of Fortinet FortiGate. Our organization has more than 3,000 users.

    What needs improvement?

    I would like to see improvements with the antivirus and IPS as they are not working properly all the time.

    For how long have I used the solution?

    I have been using Fortinet FortiGate for twelve years.

    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?

    This solution is very scalable.

    What other advice do I have?

    Prior to choosing Fortinet FortiGate you should make sure you select the right box. Be sure of the capacity and have a capacity plan before installation. I suggest you do a failover and redundant together, compact boxes together.

    I would rate this solution an 8 out of 10.

    Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
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    February 2025
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