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reviewer1336140 - PeerSpot reviewer
Senior Network Engineer at a government with 201-500 employees
Real User
Great routing, layer three throughput, and firewall management capabilities
Pros and Cons
  • "It can expand easily."
  • "With the reports, you can see it, and you can get good feelings so upper management can go, "Oh, wow. That looks pretty." However, it's very basic."

What is our primary use case?

I use it for a VPN. I use it as a gateway between locations. That's what I use it for.

They're Point-to-Point Networks, Metro Ethernet Networks, and over across the internet. We set it up with an AD VPN tunnel in between the various connections.

We use it for interconnectivity between the various sites to provide VPN tunnels. In contrast, service providers, even on Metro Ethernet and Point-to-Point Networks, cannot provide a secure connection between two points.

How has it helped my organization?

We've actually replaced 30 or more Cisco routers that were doing these VPN connections, and we replaced them with the FortiGates in order to provide Point-to-Point connectivity. It increased throughput on the various links, and it increased security.

What is most valuable?

Their VPN connection, their routing capabilities, their layer three throughput, and their firewall management capabilities that limit access from one VLAN to another are all the most valuable aspects for us. 

The solution is stable.

It can expand easily.

Support is helpful.

The product is significantly cheaper than, for example, Cisco. 

The user productivity has been good as they can, for example, transfer files easier. There is no slowdown. 

What needs improvement?

In their IPS Web Security Gateway, the reporting functions need to be a little bit more user-friendly for how to get the reports from it. That's one of the reasons why we don't use that function.

With the reports, you can see it, and you can get good feelings so upper management can go, "Oh, wow. That looks pretty." However, it's very basic.

Buyer's Guide
Fortinet FortiGate
November 2024
Learn what your peers think about Fortinet FortiGate. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: November 2024.
816,406 professionals have used our research since 2012.

For how long have I used the solution?

I've been using the solution for two years. 

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

The stability is very good. There are no bugs or glitches, and it doesn't crash or freeze. 

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

We've been able to scale pretty well. It's not a problem of you need to expand. 

End users will be passing through it. Most of the accounting passes through it to various other locations. We have about 1,500 people on the product, technically.

We do have plans to increase usage. We have not completed the entire County yet. We've done 80% and still need to action the last 20%.

How are customer service and support?

Technical support is very helpful. 

How would you rate customer service and support?

Positive

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

We used to use Cisco. We switched to FortiGate due to its throughput, ease of use, and cost.

How was the initial setup?

Our needs are a little bit more complex than others. That said, overall, I would say it's about average in terms of the ease of setup. We got to do a VPN tunnel across, and it was AD VPN, it was something brand new. 

When I set things up now, it's pretty straightforward. When I first started, it was different as I'd never seen the technology before. When I first started, I'd never seen this technology, I didn't have a clue. Others may be in the same boat. 

Now that we're familiar with technology, this is very easy to set up. We've deployed 30 of them. I've got junior engineers that can follow my instructions and set up the FortiGate, and we're up and running. It gets easier over time. We've been doing this over the last two years.

We have up to two people needed for deployment and maintenance tasks. 

What about the implementation team?

The deployment is completely done in-house. We didn't have any outside assistance. 

We did use Fortinet's tech support when we came into some problems. However, we didn't use any extra vendor.

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

Licensing is renewed every three to five years. They are less expensive e than Cisco. It has reduced the overall cost of maintaining a Cisco environment.

It's a package deal. There are no extra costs. 

Which other solutions did I evaluate?

We did not look into other solutions. 

What other advice do I have?

I'd advise potential users to just implement the right size for you and what your needs are.

I'd rate the product nine out of ten. 

We are just a customer and end-user.

Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
AhmedAboalassaad - PeerSpot reviewer
Network & Security Team Head at Amiral
Real User
Highly reliable, effective profiles, and scalable
Pros and Cons
  • "The most valuable features of Fortinet FortiGate are the different types of profiling. It has been the most effective for me. The WAF and the antivirus profile are the most effective in network protection."
  • "Fortinet FortiGate is a stable solution. However, my issue is the performance only. When I use all the profiles, this affects the performance. From the beginning, I should have had a better sizing of the box."

What is our primary use case?

We use Fortinet FortiGate mostly for a data center firewall.

What is most valuable?

The most valuable features of Fortinet FortiGate are the different types of profiling. It has been the most effective for me. The WAF and the antivirus profile are the most effective in network protection.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using Fortinet FortiGate for approximately seven years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

Fortinet FortiGate is a stable solution. However, my issue is the performance only. When I use all the profiles, this affects the performance. From the beginning, I should have had a better sizing of the box.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

The coverage and scalability of Fortinet FortiGate are good.

We use the solution for daily operations in the data center. There are hundreds of users that use the solution.

How are customer service and support?

The support from Fortinet FortiGate is great. When I have an issue with the support team, it is when I can't understand what they need and they do not understand. They then typically ask for a remote session which can help us receive the solution. Overall, the support team for Fortinet FortiGate is very good.

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup of Fortinet FortiGate is very straightforward.

I rate the initial setup of Fortinet FortiGate a four out of five.

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

We pay for the solution annually.

What other advice do I have?

The sizing is very important for the Fortinet FortiGate because after designing you have to choose what size and what kind of FortiGate you will implement. Sometimes you need to implement profiling and this will take from your processing.

In my area, this solution is recommended for many projects because it's very easy to do the implementation and troubleshoot and is highly stable. The integration between many devices, such as the FortiAnalyzer and FortiManager, is good and helps us. Fortinet FortiGate is recommended for any firewall design.

I rate Fortinet FortiGate a nine out of ten.

Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: Partner
PeerSpot user
Buyer's Guide
Fortinet FortiGate
November 2024
Learn what your peers think about Fortinet FortiGate. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: November 2024.
816,406 professionals have used our research since 2012.
Raphael Haroun  Ikyagh - PeerSpot reviewer
Network Administrator at Letshego
Real User
Top 5Leaderboard
Security solution that protects our internal network, but it could be more secure
Pros and Cons
  • "Initial setup is straightforward. There weren't too many issues with setting it up. It takes one hour or so."
  • "The solution could be more secure and stable."

What is our primary use case?

We use this solution for security and to protect our internal network from the internet.

This solution is deployed on-premise.

My company has 300 people at HQ. We have about 60 users in practice and 10-15 users per branch.

What is most valuable?

I am satisfied with the solution for now.

What needs improvement?

The solution could be more secure and stable.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using Fortinet for over four years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

Stability could be improved.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

It's scalable. It's an SD-WAN application, so on every site we have a FortiGate firewall there.

How are customer service and support?

I think there is a third-party vendor that is helping with technical support.

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

I have not been exposed to working with any other firewall except the FortiGate. At one point, our network was strictly on Cisco routers and switches. At that time, I was not exposed to having access to the security aspect of that, so I couldn't say which devices would be used for protection.

How was the initial setup?

Initial setup is straightforward. There weren't too many issues with setting it up. It takes one hour or so.

What about the implementation team?

We used a consultant.

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

You need to pay a license for this solution. Our licensing is now done in our subsidiary.

What other advice do I have?

I would rate this solution 7 out of 10.

Compared to Cisco, I think the Cisco routers are actually more stable.

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
reviewer1289523 - PeerSpot reviewer
Network Engineer at a retailer with 10,001+ employees
Real User
Scalable, extremely reliable, and has a good user interface
Pros and Cons
  • "The solution is extremely reliable."
  • "The pricing could be a bit better, especially when you consider how they have the most basic offering priced."

What is our primary use case?

In most cases, we use the solution as a firewall to access the internet. For example, we use Cisco Wireless for our clients to have access to the network and we use within the same solution the FortiGate Firewall for them to access the internet as well.

What is most valuable?

The solution offers very easy usability. 

The product can scale well.

The solution is extremely reliable.

The pricing and licensing models are pretty good. 

The user interface, both the web and CLI versions, are very good.

What needs improvement?

The solution overall is quite good. It works how we need it to. I can't recall seeing any features that are lacking.

We haven't had any breaches in our organization, however, I have read in journals that there have been some issues.

There may have been some bugs after an update, however, that has since been resolved. We saw a few bugs in the web field and when we ran an update it was resolved in the new version. 

Some resources must be accessed via web fields. We were not able to access them at first. However, it was a simple task to fix it and that has since been resolved.

The pricing could be a bit better, especially when you consider how they have the most basic offering priced.

For how long have I used the solution?

I've been using the solution since I started at my current company. I began my employment here about a year ago or so.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

The solution is quite stable. It doesn't give us issues. There are no bugs or glitches. It doesn't crash on us. It doesn't freeze. It's reliable. Fortinet has created a really reliable solution.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

We've found the scalability of the solution to be very good. If a company needs to expand on this solution, it can do so with ease.

We have between 2,000 and 3,000 users on the solution currently.

We do plan to continue to use the solution going forward. We have no plans to change anything.

How are customer service and technical support?

I've never contacted technical support. Having never dealt with them, I can't speak to their responsiveness or knowledgeability. I don't know enough about them from any kind of personal experience.

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

I also use Cisco wireless solutions. Our company uses both simultaneously.

How was the initial setup?

While I did not participate in the main part of the installation, I've discovered from deploying small FortiGates such as FortWiFi 60E, that it's good. It's not too complex of a process. It's pretty straightforward. It's easy.

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

We've found the pricing to be fair and the licensing model is quite good. It's a reasonable cost. It's not too expensive.

That said, I do feel they could work on the pricing policy a bit.

Right now a license to use some of the simpler features like web filtering or antivirus, you have to pay about 80% of the hardware price to have a license for a year. That's a bit too much for such basic features.

What other advice do I have?

We use a variety of Fortinet products. We are using mostly FortiGate 200E and we have some of FortiGate 100E and the FortiWiFi 60E.

We are not using the latest version of the solution at this time. We have version 6.0 and it completely meets our requirements. When we will have to update it we will do so. However, that is not so necessary right now. We will not update it until we need to.

I'd recommend the solution to other organizations. It's been a positive experience overall.

I would rate the solution at 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
Network Manager at a tech company with 1-10 employees
Real User
Offers a unified view, and is user-friendly, but the support has room for improvement
Pros and Cons
  • "FortiGate SD-WAN facilitated a smooth transition for our customers between their two internet service providers, ensuring uninterrupted connectivity without any downtime."
  • "The support we receive when we need to upgrade is not satisfactory and has room for improvement."

What is our primary use case?

We implemented Fortinet FortiGate SD-WAN for a small company that had two internet service providers. The goal was to configure the two links to operate independently, ensuring that they don't share the load. This way, when one link reaches a certain threshold, we can seamlessly switch to the other without any issues. 

How has it helped my organization?

We have FortiManager, which enables us to have a unified view for monitoring and managing our devices centrally, as well as dispatching policies.

The solution enables us to consolidate tools and applications and manage them all through FortiManager. You can configure your SD-WAN from Forti Manager, which gives you management functionality. 

The interoperability of the solutions is good because it allows for compatibility with brands other than Fortinet, and we don't encounter issues with it.

FortiGate SD-WAN facilitated a smooth transition for our customers between their two internet service providers, ensuring uninterrupted connectivity without any downtime.

The solution has helped us remediate threats more quickly by enabling real-time monitoring of both links, providing complete visibility into our end links. You can monitor both links on one platform. It's just one single pane of glass where you watch in real-time what is happening. It's easy to manage that way. It helps you to easily remediate issues. 

As long as our policies are granular we are able to use the solution to reduce our MTTD. 

The solution has helped to reduce our MTTR from what used to be five minutes down to 45 seconds.

The solution has helped to reduce the number of help desk tickets because it is now extremely rare for both links to be down simultaneously.

SD-WAN, regardless of the OEM being used, is a beneficial technology that is increasingly adopted by businesses due to its positive impact on business security. It allows us to maintain uninterrupted operations without concerns about past issues.

What is most valuable?

Fortinet FortiGate is user-friendly.

What needs improvement?

The support we receive when we need to upgrade is not satisfactory and has room for improvement.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using Fortinet FortiGate for two years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

The solution is stable and we have not had any issues.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

The solution is highly scalable.

How are customer service and support?

The technical support is good, but they take a long time to respond and resolve the issues.

How would you rate customer service and support?

Neutral

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

I have also used Cisco, whose systems are robust and rarely experience downtime. However, with Fortinet, their licensing is highly competitive in terms of pricing. Cisco is primarily geared towards enterprise-level companies, but the learning curve for Cisco is higher compared to Fortinet.

Fortinet's price is very competitive compared to when you look at other brands of equal functionality. The hardware and licensing are compared to the others. It's also simple to use. 

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup is straightforward. I did the deployment and didn't have any issues with it. It took one day to complete. 

What was our ROI?

The solution provides value and, therefore, offers a return on investment.

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

The price is highly competitive when compared to other brands that offer similar functionality. Fortinet FortiGate is more affordable both in terms of hardware and licensing, in comparison to its competitors.

What other advice do I have?

I give Fortinet FortiGate a seven out of ten.

I recommend FortiGate SD-WAN because it is easy to implement and simple to use.

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
Heson Ko - PeerSpot reviewer
Software Development Specialist at Unicomp Information Co. Ltd.
Reseller
Top 5
Simple and efficient security solution for end-users
Pros and Cons
  • "Security, SD-WAN, and Streetscape are valuable features."
  • "The solution can have more features in a single box that can be multi-applied to integrate everything."

What is our primary use case?

We use SD-WAN to connect the checking role between our branch offices, like Yap installation or fire shooting. We use Fortinet FortiGate to control the different segmentation.

How has it helped my organization?

The IT manager could monitor every security device and increase SD-WAN. Still, the SD-WAN function had to be integrated into our older device. So now our IT manager can see all the end user information about the network information and security event in the single panel base. SD-WAN has helped the organization to remediate threats.

We provided great information to our end users, and our guys could quickly interact with the tool for information.

What is most valuable?

Security, SD-WAN, and Streetscape are valuable features. It is a straightforward solution for our partners. The solution is more efficient for user applications.

What needs improvement?

In the next release, the tool can have more features in a single box that can be multi-applied to integrate everything.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using the solution for twenty-thirty years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

It is a stable solution.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

It is a scalable solution.

How are customer service and support?

The customer service and support team is good. 

How would you rate customer service and support?

Positive

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

We used CheckPoint previously. We switched because it was high-priced.

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup was easy.

What about the implementation team?

It was deployed through a vendor team of one-two person.

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

We think the price is lower, and suitable for most end users.

What other advice do I have?

I would rate the solution an eight out of ten.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

Public Cloud
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer:
PeerSpot user
HEST manager at ALTT CONTROL PLUS
Real User
Top 20
An easy to handle product that has good user interface
Pros and Cons
  • "The tool is a nice product and easy to handle. The software's user interface is also good. You can easily implement remote access in the solution."
  • "I would like to see improvements in the product's application rules."

What is most valuable?

The tool is a nice product and easy to handle. The software's user interface is also good. You can easily implement remote access in the solution. 

What needs improvement?

I would like to see improvements in the product's application rules. 

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been working with the tool since 2015. 

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

The tool is stable. 

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

The tool is scalable. 

How are customer service and support?

I did not contact the tool's technical support team because it is very strong and stable. 

How was the initial setup?

The tool is easy to deploy. 

What other advice do I have?

I would rate the product an eight out of ten. 

Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: Integrator
PeerSpot user
Michael Vlahakis - PeerSpot reviewer
Founder at Digivalue
Real User
Fits the customer requirements very well, comes with good support, and is very stable
Pros and Cons
  • "It is useful for protecting and segregating the internal networks from the internet. Most of our customers also use the FortiGate client to connect to their offices by using the VPN client, and of course, they usually activate the antivirus, deep inspection, and intrusion prevention services. They are also using it for web filtering and implementing various policies dealing with forwardings, NAT, etc."
  • "A sandbox would be good in order to be able to inspect the emails containing spam and be able to validate the emails that contain malware, prior to delivering to the customer."

What is our primary use case?

We manage FortiGate firewalls for our customers. We are working with 100F, 100D, and 60D.

All our FortiGates are installed on-premises, but we can manage our customers' firewalls remotely.

What is most valuable?

It is useful for protecting and segregating the internal networks from the internet. Most of our customers also use the FortiGate client to connect to their offices by using the VPN client, and of course, they usually activate the antivirus, deep inspection, and intrusion prevention services. They are also using it for web filtering and implementing various policies dealing with forwardings, NAT, etc.

What needs improvement?

A sandbox would be good in order to be able to inspect the emails containing spam and be able to validate the emails that contain malware, prior to delivering to the customer.

Its initial setup could be simpler.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using this solution for about five years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

Its stability is great. 

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

We have not had the necessary size to experience extendability.

How are customer service and support?

They supported us in many of our projects when we needed the expertise to configure the devices properly according to the customer's specifications.

How was the initial setup?

It could be simpler. Sometimes, it is very difficult. Policies tend to mix up sometimes, and it can be difficult to have clear policies for one particular thing.

What other advice do I have?

We recommend this product to customers with up to 200 or 250 people. This size is considered large by Greek standards. If a customer is located in one single building or two or three buildings, and they do not have a complicated architectural infrastructure, this product is ideal for them. It is not recommended for customers with a complex infrastructure and a lot of buildings.

I would rate it a nine out of 10. It is a fantastic product. It fits the customer requirements very well, and the vendor is great. We are very pleased with it.

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
Download our free Fortinet FortiGate Report and get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions.
Updated: November 2024
Buyer's Guide
Download our free Fortinet FortiGate Report and get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions.