Fortinet FortiGate SWG is a robust and secure product compared to Sophos. It has a valuable SD-WAN feature and provides good performance. Along with that, it has efficient bandwidth and policy management features as well.
Head of IT at ArcelorMittal
Robust and secure product with a valuable SD-WAN feature
Pros and Cons
- "It has a valuable SD-WAN feature and provides good performance."
- "They should make the product user-friendly and enhance the security features."
What is most valuable?
What needs improvement?
They could provide bandwidth concentrators and traffic filtering features. They should make the product user-friendly and enhance the security features.
For how long have I used the solution?
We have been using Fortinet FortiGate SWG for ten years. At present, we use the latest version.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
I rate the product's stability an eight out of ten.
Buyer's Guide
Fortinet FortiGate SWG
November 2024
Learn what your peers think about Fortinet FortiGate SWG. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: November 2024.
816,636 professionals have used our research since 2012.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
I rate the product's scalability an eight out of ten. It is suitable for small to large enterprises.
How was the initial setup?
I rate the product's initial setup process a seven out of ten. It takes a few hours or a few days to complete.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
I rate the product's pricing a seven out of ten. Its one-year license cost is competitive with three and five-year licenses offered by other products.
What other advice do I have?
I recommend the product to others and rate it 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: Implementer
Vice President, Head of B2B Marketing Department at DTAC
Is highly stable and provides a good user experience
Pros and Cons
- "The product is highly stable."
- "Fortinet FortiGate SWG's costs need improvement."
What is most valuable?
The product provides a good user experience.
What needs improvement?
Fortinet FortiGate SWG's costs need improvement. Also, there could be an efficient feature for solution consulting to answer queries related to architecture design.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
The product is highly stable.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
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.
How are customer service and support?
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.
How would you rate customer service and support?
Neutral
How was the initial setup?
The platform requires a few months to design the architecture.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
The product is expensive compared to Cisco.
What other advice do I have?
I recommend Fortinet FortiGate SWG and rate it an eight out of ten.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
Hybrid Cloud
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: Reseller
Buyer's Guide
Fortinet FortiGate SWG
November 2024
Learn what your peers think about Fortinet FortiGate SWG. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: November 2024.
816,636 professionals have used our research since 2012.
Reliable with good manageability and a straightforward setup process
Pros and Cons
- "We have found the product to be scalable."
- "The product needs to drastically improve its reporting capability."
What is our primary use case?
We are primarily using the solution as a hosted gateway.
What is most valuable?
The solution is stable and reliable. The performance has been good.
We have found the product to be scalable.
The manageability has been excellent so far.
The initial setup is pretty simple and straightforward.
What needs improvement?
The product needs to drastically improve its reporting capability. Right now, that is what is lacking. They need to offer monitoring dashboards.
The product should be more user-friendly and attractive. The interface doesn't look as nice as it could.
For how long have I used the solution?
I've just used the solution for a few months.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
The performance has been great. it's stable. There are no bugs or glitches. It doesn't crash or freeze. It is reliable.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
The scalability is good. If a company needs to expand, it can do so.
We have 80 to 100 people on the solution currently.
How are customer service and support?
Technical support is great. It's already pretty fast.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
We did not use a different solution previously.
How was the initial setup?
The implementation process is easy. It's not overly difficult.
The last time we set it up, it took a maximum of 45 minutes to one hour to deploy - apart from the racking. When it is on-prem and I install it in the rack, it’s powered on, then the configuration takes a maximum of 45 minutes.
We only needed one technical person to manage the deployment.
What about the implementation team?
We have a consultant that helps us with setting up the solution. Actually, we have the managed service with them as well.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
We have a three-year licensing agreement with FortiGate.
What other advice do I have?
I would rate the solution a nine out of ten.
I'd advise potential new users that, if they want to use it, they need to plan and design their business case, including what things they want to use and how to publish their application securely. If they can plan ahead, then they will be successful during deployment.
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?
Microsoft Azure
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
Cyber Security Architect at a healthcare company with 10,001+ employees
A cloud solution for Internet-facing applications but is expensive
What is our primary use case?
We use Fortinet FortiGate SWG to secure both Internet-facing and internal applications.
What is most valuable?
The web solutions are the most important features.
What needs improvement?
The solution could add API protection.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using Fortinet FortiGate SWG for a year.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
The product is stable.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
The solution is scalable.
How are customer service and support?
Support is good.
How would you rate customer service and support?
Positive
How was the initial setup?
The deployment depends on the requirements. It takes a minimum of one day to complete.
What about the implementation team?
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.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
The product is expensive. It comes with a yearly subscription, which includes support and everything.
What other advice do I have?
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.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
Public Cloud
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
Director - Sales & Marketing at Syscraft Technologies LLP
Offers proxy and web filtering, assists in meeting compliance requirements by facilitating log reports and highly scalable solution
Pros and Cons
- "I would rate the scalability of this product a nine out of ten because it is highly scalable. We have not had problems with customers in terms of scalability."
- "The UI/UX experience can be a little better."
What is our primary use case?
My clients use it as a proxy. The second use case is to try a kind of web filtering. So that's the reason why they're buying. We have customers to whom we have sold an appliance, and we also have a customer to whom we have sold on a virtual machine. So, it's placed on their private cloud.
How has it helped my organization?
We've been able to try and secure our perimeter better because of the proxy and the gateway. Moreover, traffic from all our compliance actually passes through this.
We have compliances also, so we get log reports from that, which goes into our log management software. And it actually helps us to try and analyze any security threats to our environment.
What is most valuable?
DNS security is something that is actually a good service that comes along with the FortiProXY or a Forti secure web gateway.
Fortinet FortiGate SWG is already a good solution, especially with its IP reputation and anti-botnet security features.
What needs improvement?
The UI/UX experience can be a little better.
For how long have I used the solution?
My company has the skill set assets.
We've been in the business for more than eight years. We have implemented FortiGate SWG in the last twelve months.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
I would rate the stability a nine out of ten. It's very highly stable. Even if the appliance on-premise solutions have been working fine, Fortinet has a good RMA policy in case of failure as well.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
I would rate the scalability of this product a nine out of ten because it is highly scalable. We have not had problems with customers in terms of scalability.
For medium and enterprise businesses, we would be looking at a web gateway. Small businesses normally don't get into buying a web gateway as such.
How are customer service and support?
We expect a little skillset from the partner as well. However, if we raise the ticket, it becomes much easier, and we get the necessary technical support.
How would you rate customer service and support?
Positive
How was the initial setup?
I would rate my experience with the initial setup an eight out of ten, where one is difficult, and ten is easy.
Usually, the deployment model is in a private cloud. It can be deployed as an on-prem solution also. The customers have proxy gateways, and so it comes as an appliance as well or as hardware.
The deployment takes days. It doesn't take weeks. But it depends on the customer environment, like the number of users and what policies need to be configured for that.
So, it depends on the complexity as far as configurations are concerned. But it definitely can be done in days, and it doesn't take more than ten odd days or so, depending upon the scope.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
From a price standpoint, Fortinet is willing to work with partners to get good deals, and Forti will not lose on a price.
So, we'll be able to try and have a good price versus performance metrics that Fortinet provides.
I would rate the pricing a six out of ten, where one is cheap and ten is expensive.
What other advice do I have?
Overall, I would rate the solution an eight out of ten. I would definitely recommend using the solution.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
Hybrid Cloud
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: Implementer
Manager Of Information Technology at Jubilant Foodworks
A flexible and stable solution that helped limit user traffic and secured data
Pros and Cons
- "It's a flexible solution."
- "Another issue is how deduplication services don't work reliably after enabling deduplication on Fortinet."
What is our primary use case?
We use the solution to secure our entire data, limiting user traffic from within the system, which needs to be assessed to be secure. That is the main motive behind choosing the solution.
How has it helped my organization?
Suppose I don't want to pay for the users. We would have done some whitelisting and content filtering on the FortiGate web gate. Based on the policies, any user traffic is filtered through the secure gateway.
What is most valuable?
It's a flexible solution.
What needs improvement?
What happens in FortiGate is that a lot of bugs come on a system-by-system basis, like when Fortinet launches new firmware in FortiGate. Most software launches with known or unknown bugs. When we go for upgradation, even after running a bug scoping exam, we don't know whether the BIOS for which we are upgrading would affect the end user. We don't know how the FortiGate firmware will behave in your environment. Whatever the known bug, FortiGate lists it in their documents, but you never know how the problem will impact your environment. That's a major disadvantage of FortiGate because, somewhere, it's very unstable.
Another issue is how deduplication services don't work reliably after enabling deduplication on Fortinet. When they launch any new firmware in the future, they have to ensure firmware functions.
For how long have I used the solution?
I've worked with Fortinet FortiGate SWG for more than ten years now.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
I rate the solution's stability a seven out of ten.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
I rate the solution's scalability a seven out of ten. We have around 700 users on the platform.
How are customer service and support?
If any issues arise, we have to log a ticket with Fortinet. By default, they log all the tickets in P3 or P4 priorities. For P1 or P2, they ask to call us on their phone numbers and lines. Whenever we try to call on the phone for any P1 or P2 issues, the next time, the number gets busy, or the email is unavailable. That's why
I feel the support is not up to the mark, and they must work on it.
How would you rate customer service and support?
Neutral
How was the initial setup?
I rate the solution's initial setup a seven out of ten. The deployment time depends on the scenario, such as your infrastructure size. To deploy the solution on a cloud, you have to buy it from the marketplace and deploy it on the cloud. But after that, you have to do a lot of configurations. That depends on the size of the operation.
One person is more than enough to implement the smaller version of the solution. But if the organization is bigger, with more than 500 or 600 users, we would need three to four people.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
Fortinet is priced low.
Which other solutions did I evaluate?
We are exploring Netskope and evaluating it for the future.
What other advice do I have?
I recommend Fortinet FortiGate SWG because it is flexible and cost-effective. I rate it an eight out of ten.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
Public Cloud
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
Director Technical Services at TechnoBIZ
A comprehensive solution for web filtering, malware protection, and application control that offers robust security features and user-friendly interface
Pros and Cons
- "Web filters, particularly web application controls, grant us the ability to regulate user access effectively."
- "There's room for improvement in the interface, especially following their upgrade to version nineteen."
What is our primary use case?
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.
What is most valuable?
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.
What needs improvement?
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.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using it for seven years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
I would rate its stability capabilities nine out of ten.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
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.
How are customer service and support?
I would rate its technical support services seven out of ten.
How would you rate customer service and support?
Neutral
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
WatchGuard deserves credit for offering multiple options, including a client base and a comprehensive reporting feature, all within a unified license and toolset.
How was the initial setup?
I would rate the initial setup six out of ten in terms of complexity.
What about the implementation team?
The deployment can take up to a week but typically can be done in a couple of days.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
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.
What other advice do I have?
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.
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: Reseller
Associate Director at NVIT
A highly scalable security solution that is easy to deploy and provides good technical support
Pros and Cons
- "The technical support is good."
- "The solution is expensive."
What is our primary use case?
We use the product for our customers. We use it for security.
How has it helped my organization?
We can use the URL filtering and antivirus features. We can also configure rules and protocols from source to destination.
What is most valuable?
The technical support is good.
What needs improvement?
The solution is expensive.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have used the solution in the past twelve months.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
The stability is not the same as WatchGuard. If we have a power problem, we can lose configurations, VPN, SSL, and other things. Other products do not have these issues. The tool is stable when there are no power outages. I rate the stability a nine out of ten.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
I rate the tool’s scalability a nine out of ten. It has high scalability. We integrate the solution for our customers. Some customers have 15 to 50 users, while others have 300 to 1000 users. Our customers are small and medium enterprises.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup is easy. It was not complex.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
I rate the pricing an eight out of ten on a scale where one is cheap and ten is expensive. We need to pay for additional features.
What other advice do I have?
The product could provide SD-WAN and VPN features. People can use the tool. Overall, I rate the 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: Integrator
Buyer's Guide
Download our free Fortinet FortiGate SWG Report and get advice and tips from experienced pros
sharing their opinions.
Updated: November 2024
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