Fortinet FortiGate-VM Reviews

I use the solution in my company for the data center's server protection to segregate the data center VLANs and the other VLANs used in the production, testing, and development phases, including the areas consisting of DMZ and VLAN. We are using Fortinet FortiGate-VM as a software-based tool and as a firewall for our data center.

It filters out the unnecessary connectivity that I would probably expect to be connected from the end user site or from external to the data center site. It is also used to filter unauthorized access to sites and to mitigate risks if, in cases, because of the asset policy, the remote desktop connectivity or remote connectivity is not allowed to restrict something. It is used to deal with phishing or something that may not pass through the network. The tool serves as an industrial firewall so that we can use it as a filter more efficiently.

The security offered by the tool has certain shortcomings, making it in area where improvements are required. Security, by nature, is very dynamic, and continuous improvement is required. Every time, the policy and the configuration need to be checked in that aspect now, so in that aspect, it needs some improvement, especially when it comes to some filtering mechanisms, and protocols.

I have been using Fortinet FortiGate-VM for more than three years.

In terms of stability, it is stable. Stability-wise, I rate the solution an eight out of ten.

It is scalable because it is a virtual appliance. You can probably scale it up more.

Fortinet FortiGate-VM is a security solution, so users are not expected to access it. It is actually required to protect the network and the environment, so there is no need for actual user access for the solution.

The product's initial setup phase requires some special expertise. The initial setup phase might not be complex, but it requires experts since it is a security solution.

If there is an expertise that is actually doing the implementation or deployment, then it is a straightforward process.

The solution requires a license. The tool is neither expensive nor cheap, so it is okay.

The product's implementation does affect our compliance with industry regulations, and it is one of the reasons why we prefer using Fortinet FortiGate-VM.

My suggestion to other people related to the tool depends on their requirements because there are other different solutions in terms of cost, efficiency, security, reliability, and security. Depending on the requirements, the tool is recommendable. Fortinet is one of the top security solutions in the market. Anybody can choose from multiple tools in the market, including Palo Alto products and other solutions. Fortinet is usually recommended to others.

I think that Fortinet FortiGate-VM has some solutions that offer AI features. For our use case, we don't actually use the AI functionalities since we want to control everything. In my company, we are the ones who are actually dealing with the product and are just not supported by AI.

I rate the tool a seven out of ten.

Fortinet FortiGate-VM is used for the firewall. Some clients would like to go for the solution because of pricing. They feel they can run it on their own hardware, cut down costs, and manage it.

I can vouch for the security aspect of Fortinet FortiGate-VM. It's a value-for-money appliance. Fortinet has always been our number one firewall appliance regarding recommendations to customers. The solution is very secure, and its technical support is on point.

I like Fortinet FortiGate-VM for tutorial purposes. You can set up the solution on your personal computer for apps and teaching.

Fortinet FortiGate-VM should improve its asset identification, wherein the device can identify assets on the network, like computers. We should be able to identify a device and the user account used to log on to that device.

I have been using Fortinet FortiGate-VM for more than five to six years.

Since it is a VM, the solution runs on a client-provided host machine. Most of the time, the host machine gives issues that affect the VM.

I rate the solution a five out of ten for stability.

Around 20 users are using Fortinet FortiGate-VM in our organization.

I rate the solution an eight out of ten for scalability.

The solution's technical support is responsive, but the only issue is you need to be specific with your problem. If you are not specific with your problem, it will take longer to resolve the issue because of time zone differences. All the engineers would like to know exactly the problem before they offer solutions.

Positive

We previously worked with pfSense. We switched to Fortinet FortiGate-VM because pfSense was giving us issues.

Fortinet FortiGate-VM is easy to implement, provided you know your network architecture and the basics.

On a scale from one to ten, where one is complex and ten is easy, I rate the solution's initial setup a nine out of ten.

The solution can be deployed in less than ten minutes.

Fortinet FortiGate-VM is a very expensive solution. It's a value-for-money appliance. You don't have every client going in for the solution unless there are some specific points.

You need to know exactly what you need at the point of purchase. That will guide you in purchasing the required license. If you miss and purchase the wrong license, you can wait and purchase another license during renewal. You can also negotiate with Fortinet to have your license changed to get the feature you want.

On a scale from one to ten, where one is expensive and ten is cheap, I rate the solution's pricing a three out of ten.

We used to troubleshoot for Fortinet FortiGate-VM, but now the new firmware doesn't really give issues. We do maintain the solution by checking on devices and updating the firmware. We have seven engineers in our technical team to deploy and maintain the solution.

I would not recommend Fortinet FortiGate-VM to other users because most users don't have the infrastructure. They will tell you they want to cut down costs. You get them the solution, and at the end of the day, as a technical person, you will be bothered by the solution.

Regarding the upgrade, the only time we've had an issue is when the customer gave the wrong information. The utilization exceeded what they actually needed. Aside from that, Fortinet FortiGate-VM is a good appliance for us.

Overall, I rate the solution an eight out of ten.

It's crucial for protecting my internet network. It works well internally.

Fortinet FortiGate-VM improved security within our virtualized environment.

However, I would rate the ease of management a seven out of ten, with ten being the best. 

The policies are very valuable. They allow me to secure and manage future traffic effectively.

The biggest area for improvement is storage configuration. It could be smoother.

I have been using it for four years. 

When it comes to stability, various factors are involved, including partners, configurations, and third-party integrations. 

However, we do use it, and it seems reliable and secure for most situations.

The company that acquired us already had similar technology in place, so there wasn't a significant change when they integrated FortiGate-VM.

We have around 60 end users in our company using this solution. It is a very scalable solution.

It's a new technology, and we're still learning. Support is crucial.

Neutral

The initial setup is straightforward and quick.  

We moved the equipment to the site, connected it to the internet, and configured it through the console.

I took a consultant's help.  

It improved security a lot.

My recommendation is: If you use FortiGate-VM, make sure your infrastructure is good first and that power generation is very stable. 

We use Fortinet FortiGate-VM for a constrained firewall and comprehensible security solution. Currently, I'm involved in implementing FortiGate and FortiManager for a customer project over the past month, and Fortinet has proven to be quite effective in this regard.

Regarding specific features, I appreciate the option for external selection, where you can choose either to use a default or create a self-description. This simplifies the process compared to other vendors that require creating a test extension profile and then applying it to the installation. With FortiGate, there is a streamlined approach. From the benefits perspective, clients mainly see cost reduction, especially with FortiGate VM Firewall, as it eliminates the need for additional hardware.      

The product is satisfactory. I haven't identified any features to improve, and based on the number of deployments I've handled with FortiGate-VM, there haven't been any complaints from the customer's side.

I have been using Fortinet FortiGate-VM for the past five years. 

Fortinet is a stable and user-friendly solution. The configuration is straightforward, and it provides a secure environment. I recall a challenge where a customer was using VDOM to segment their networks, but faced issues with communication between firewalls. Through online research, I discovered a tool to replace Fortinet, and it resolved the issue. During a critical migration for a large customer with six hardware firewalls, Fortinet proved reliable and prevented the possibility of mistakes. The GUI interface is well-organized, especially the security tab, making it easy to navigate. Fortinet simplifies network and security tasks, making it accessible for those with a basic understanding of networking and security concepts. Overall, as a vendor, Fortinet stands out for its streamlined approach, avoiding the need to navigate between multiple locations for configuration.

I haven't personally tried Fortinet's technical support, but according to my colleague who has used it, the experience was not positive. He mentioned that the support process is not as direct and efficient as Cisco's. In Cisco, when there's an issue, you can call, initiate a case, and the support engineer can join you directly for troubleshooting. However, with Fortinet, it seems the process involves working on the case independently, and the support requests are assigned to different engineers. 

When advising the team for cost reduction, I suggest going with the VM if there's no budget. However, if there is a budget, I recommend purchasing the hardware. For all vendors, technically speaking, hardware is considered better than VM. However, for Fortinet, the difference between VM and hardware is mainly budget-related. If the customer has a budget, it's advisable to purchase the hardware. When recommending from the sales team's perspective, if the customer has a budget, they will suggest going with hardware. If there's no budget, the recommendation is to opt for VM, especially if the customer is working with Azure or AWS. The difference between VM and hardware lies primarily in patches, and overall, everything is satisfactory. One aspect worth noting is that during VM deployment, checking connectivity between the hypervisor, distribution switch, and network firewall is required. In contrast, for hardware, once the configuration is complete, connectivity is straightforward.

As for my overall rating of the FortiGate VM solution on a scale from one to ten, with one being the worst and ten being the best, I would rate it as a ten.

I use the solution in my company mostly as a firewall product.

The strong point of the solution is that Fortinet FortiGate-VM is a good tool to spend money on, as its price is not as high as the ones offered by Palo Alto. Compared to Palo Alto's performance, most people like Fortinet FortiGate-VM. In general, Fortinet FortiGate-VM is a tool that is available for a good price, and its performance is comparable to that of Palo Alto and Check Point.

I believe that Fortinet FortiGate-VM makes improvements on a quarterly or yearly basis.

In Fortinet FortiGate-VM, the area around the configuration, performance monitoring, and GUI are not as easy as in Palo Alto. Fortinet FortiGate-VM's configuration part, performance monitoring, and GUI are areas where improvements are required.

The scalability feature of the solution has certain shortcomings, making it an area where improvements are required.

I have been using Fortinet FortiGate-VM for more than ten years. I work as the solution's system integrator. I use the solution's latest version.

It is a very stable solution. Stability-wise, I rate the solution an eight out of ten.

Scalability-wise, I rate the solution a six or seven out of ten.

My company deals with customers with various ranges regarding the number of users who use the solution. Some of the customers I deal with and who use the solution have around 500 users.

My company plans to increase the number of users of the solution in our company.

I am not about the online support services offered by Fortinet FortiGate-VM, but our company deals with local support for the solution, which is very good.

I rate the technical support a ten out of ten.

Positive

As a system integrator, my company not only provides services for Fortinet FortiGate-VM but also for products like Palo Alto and Check Point.

The product's initial setup phase was easy.

The solution is deployed on an on-premises model.

The product's installation phase takes three hours if our company's customers provide us with all the prerequisites required for the deployment.

Cost-wise, I would describe Fortinet FortiGate-VM as a tool that is available for a good price.

Two years ago, the price for the license of the product was affordable, but I think that in the present time, there has been an increase in the price of the product by around 30 percent, making it an expensive tool in the process. I rate the product price a three on a scale of one to ten, where one is a high price, and ten is a low price.

My team consists of around 15 engineers who help me take care of the technical aspects of the product.

I recommend the product to those who plan to use it. I rate the overall tool an eight and a half to nine out of ten.

We deploy the tool for customers who want a firewall in front of their cloud environment. We can use it for anything they want to protect in their data center or private cloud.

The solution has given us a good revenue stream and a better solution for our customers for network security. The product can take our customer’s basic firewall and take it to the next level and give them much more visibility and control over the traffic.

All the security features that are built into the product are valuable. It includes web filtering, DNS filtering, and intrusion prevention. FortiGate is the best firewall in the market. It pretty much does most things.

Support could be improved a little.

I have been using the solution for four and a half years.

I rate the solution’s stability a ten out of ten.

I rate the tool’s scalability a ten out of ten.

Sometimes, we get really good, knowledgeable engineers. At other times, it feels like we got somebody who started that day. We have to go through the wringer with them.

Neutral

The initial setup was very easy.

I have seen an ROI on the product.

The price is pretty decent compared to other products. The product’s licensing must be a little cheaper.

If you're looking for an enterprise-level next-generation firewall, go with FortiGate. It’s hands down the best value for what you pay. Overall, I rate the solution a ten out of ten.

I occasionally implement Fortinet for clients. 

In the most recent instance, we had a cloud implemented and I was driving the infrastructure. The client had separate areas inside it purposely. They needed to implement a FortiGate solution in the same client, with different VMs, for different clients, to make different areas for these clients. 

It's great that we can have separate services for the same client. 

It's a complete solution. You only need to deploy it once. You can have many clients and many services for these clients in the same VM. It's a solution that works very well for companies that may need separated sections.

It makes things less expensive for clients. The pricing is good.

The interface is decent.

Technical support has a lot of knowledge.

The initial setup is simple. 

The solution is stable.

It can scale well.

The solution could use very well-defined support for resellers. There isn't necessarily 24/7 support and resolution.

The interface could be improved. 

The product could have more protocol routing options. 

I'd rate the solution at a seven out of ten.

The stability is good. There are no bugs or glitches. It doesn't crash or freeze. 

If you need to scale, this is a good option.

The technical support is pretty good. We are quite satisfied with the level of service on offer. 

The initial setup process is very easy and straightforward. It's not difficult or complex. 

We only need three people for deployment and maintenance. It's not a solution that requires a big team. You might need one or two field engineers. 

I'm working in a Fortinet partner company. I'm a reseller.

I'm dealing with the latest version of the product.

I like the 100F version, and it may be a good option for most clients, however, it might not be right for every company. It's a good idea to figure out what you need before you decide to avoid purchasing something that's not right for your company's needs.

We employ Fortinet FortiGate-VM solely for testing purposes, similar to how we employ virtual machines in a virtual lab environment to evaluate solutions. When customers inquire about potential solutions, we typically construct and thoroughly test these solutions in our lab environment before providing confirmation. Once we've successfully conducted a proof of concept, we then extend an offer to the customer.

Both the hardware and virtual versions offer comprehensive capabilities required for perimeter network protection. Positioned at the network perimeter, they provide profiles that can be easily configured, including antivirus, DNS protection, web filtering, IPS, and application awareness for over five thousand applications. This allows for tailored configurations based on specific application usage within our network.

The scalability and flexibility of FortiGate VM have greatly benefited our organization. Its exceptional scalability allows us to adapt and expand according to our evolving needs.

Integrating FortiGate VM with our existing systems was straightforward, as I recall no difficulties during the process. I would rate it a solid ten out of ten for ease of integration.

The performance and availability of FortiGate-VM in our setup vary depending on the specific models chosen. We refer to data sheets and comparison tables to identify devices that meet our specific requirements. This involves considering factors such as performance metrics, encryption and decryption capabilities, and the number of secure connections supported. By comparing different models, we can select the one that best suits our needs.

The GUI of FortiGate is exceptional.

The features of FortiGate VM that we find most effective for network security include its universal operating system, which is the same across both hardware and virtual machine deployments. This consistency ensures that both real boxes and virtual machines run on identical images, accessible via both command line and graphical interfaces for convenience.

SD-WAN could be enhanced to provide a clear division between control and data planes, utilizing controllers to manage tasks within the network.

We have been using it for more than three years.

I am satisfied with its stability. I would rate it ten out of ten.

It provides outstanding scalability capabilities. I would rate it ten out of ten. 
We serve a diverse range of customers, including large government organizations in Ukraine and small businesses. FortiGate is suitable for a variety of customer types, accommodating the needs of both large enterprises and smaller organizations.

We haven't encountered any open trouble tickets in the past three years, so we don't have firsthand experience with how Fortinet handles cases.

The initial setup is straightforward, earning a rating of ten out of ten for ease of use. Compared to other options, it stands out as exceptionally simple, largely due to the extensive documentation provided by Fortinet. Additionally, numerous YouTube tutorials are available online, making it easy to find solutions without necessarily having to consult the documentation.

For deployment, FortiGate can be utilized in both on-premises and cloud environments, offering flexibility in its application. It can serve as a client-side perimeter device within a customer's network or function as a cloud-based service. Our organization predominantly offers cloud-based solutions, leveraging FortiGate installations at our Sentinel node facility. Here, we manage customer traffic by configuring it to pass through FortiGate, allowing us to provide next-generation firewall services to customers who lack their infrastructure. We tailor configurations to suit each customer's specific needs.

Alternatively, if a customer requires an on-premises solution, we may deploy a physical appliance at their site. In such cases, where the customer lacks the expertise to manage the firewall effectively, we offer a managed service option.

Deployment typically takes no more than a few hours, thanks to the straightforward installation process and the clarity of the documentation provided. Especially in simple configurations with uncomplicated topologies, deployment can be completed within minutes.

The price falls somewhere in the middle; it's neither cheap nor expensive. I would rate it five out of ten.

When purchasing an appliance, it's essential to acquire the accompanying subscription. This is crucial because frequent updates to antivirus profiles and other features are necessary, often occurring daily. Operating the device effectively requires a subscription from Fortinet, which we consistently purchase.

Fortinet FortiGate-VM is purpose-built as a next-generation firewall, excelling in its performance of this specific function. Its designated place in the network aligns perfectly with its capabilities, making it an ideal device for its intended purpose. Overall, I would rate it ten out of ten.