I am a consultant, and I have worked with solutions from many different vendors. Depending on what the customer wants, we help to select the solution. This is one of the solutions that I have serviced in a client environment.
Senior Presale Manager at a tech services company with self employed
A feature-rich and stable solution, but the GUI needs to be improved
Pros and Cons
- "All of the features in this solution are effective and efficient."
- "The GUI could be improved to make it more usable, easier to administer, and easier to configure."
What is our primary use case?
What is most valuable?
All of the features in this solution are effective and efficient. They are dependent on the environment in the organization.
What needs improvement?
The policies and the way that they are applied can be improved. It could be more direct, as it is an issue for some people. Generally, policy management could be made better and simpler to deploy.
The GUI could be improved to make it more usable, easier to administer, and easier to configure.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been working with this product for several months.
Buyer's Guide
Fortinet FortiOS
December 2024
Learn what your peers think about Fortinet FortiOS. 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 think it's a stable solution.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
We have been deploying this solution in small and medium-sized environments, with no more than fifty users, and it has always been effective.
How are customer service and support?
I don't think that we have had any issues with technical support for this solution.
How was the initial setup?
The difficulty of the initial setup depends on who is handling it. Definitely, there are challenges, but if you have a proper understanding of what you're supposed to do, then it is straightforward to work with.
For me, I think that the physical box is more straightforward to work with, but it depends on who is doing it. If you get your architecture right then it is a pretty straightforward deployment. If you don't, then you run into issues that you will need to troubleshoot.
What other advice do I have?
For my requirements and expectations, I would rate this solution a seven out of ten.
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
Tech Engineer at a financial services firm with 201-500 employees
An excellent co-firewall that's very user-friendly but should be more cloud-based
Pros and Cons
- "For my organization, it has become much easier to scan the firewalls because the solution is more user-friendly than competitors."
- "The signature discs, compared to Palo Alto, aren't as good. It takes more time to get the signature updates."
What is our primary use case?
We primarily use the solution as a co-firewall.
How has it helped my organization?
For my organization, it has become much easier to scan the firewalls because the solution is more user-friendly than its competitors.
What is most valuable?
We've found the threat detection very valuable. The entire platform is user-friendly. It's easier compared to Check Point or Juniper firewalls.
What needs improvement?
The signature discs, compared to Palo Alto, aren't as good. It takes more time to get the signature updates.
The solution should be on the cloud a bit more.
There should be a cookie eater.
For how long have I used the solution?
I've been using the solution for more than three years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
The stability of the solution is very good.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
The solution is scalable.
How are customer service and technical support?
Technical support for the solution is very good.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
We ended up choosing the solution because of its ease of use and it troubleshooting steps were easy to control.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup is straightforward. You need about two to three people for deployment and maintenance.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
Licensing is renewed on a yearly basis.
What other advice do I have?
We use the on-premises deployment model.
I would recommend the solution. As a co-firewall, it does a good job.
I would rate the solution seven out of ten.
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
Buyer's Guide
Fortinet FortiOS
December 2024
Learn what your peers think about Fortinet FortiOS. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: December 2024.
824,067 professionals have used our research since 2012.
Manager at a tech services company with 51-200 employees
Great SD-WAN, IPS, and application control
Pros and Cons
- "It's very easy to use."
- "They need to integrate more with the SD-WAN."
What is most valuable?
It's very easy to use.
The SD-WAN, IPS, application control and web features are all very valuable aspects of the solution.
What needs improvement?
We haven't had any issues with the solution. It's been pretty good in general.
We would like to see the ability to maybe monitor applications that use the SD-WAN. They need to integrate more with the SD-WAN.
We would like to see lower pricing. The price is high.
For how long have I used the solution?
I've used the solution for a long time. It's been maybe ten years.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
We have about 100 users on the solution.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
I've also worked with Check Point.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
We have three years' worth of licensing before we have to renew anything. We renewed it about two years ago. The pricing could be a bit better.
What other advice do I have?
I'm a customer and an end-user.
I'd rate the solution nine out of ten. It has worked well for us overall, and we are happy with its capabilities.
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.
Satisfactory stability and easy to set up, but lacks desired features
Pros and Cons
- "The stability of Fortinet meets our requirements and I'm satisfied with it."
- "I would like to see the features of FortiAnalyzer included in Fortinet FortiOS. Right now, you're required to have an additional license and a different device for features such as processing the log, reporting, and analyzing traffic."
What is our primary use case?
We use Fortinet to secure the environment at our data center and LAN.
What needs improvement?
I would like to see the features of FortiAnalyzer included in Fortinet FortiOS. Right now, you're required to have an additional license and a different device for features such as processing the log, reporting, and analyzing traffic.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using this solution for about six or seven years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
The stability of Fortinet meets our requirements and I'm satisfied with it.
How was the initial setup?
The solution was easy to set up.
What about the implementation team?
I deployed the solution by myself and it took about one to two months.
What other advice do I have?
I would rate this solution as a seven 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.
Junior Manager at Paytm Payments Bank
Next-generation firewall that can detect threats other solutions do not
Pros and Cons
- "FortiOS's most valuable feature is a next-generation firewall that can be used as the APT solution in advanced threat protection."
- "The threat time interval lags a little, especially if there's a heavy load on the firewall."
What is most valuable?
FortiOS's most valuable feature is a next-generation firewall that can be used as the APT solution in advanced threat protection. The IPS feature is also very good and can sometimes detect threats that are not detectable by the Palo Alto firewall.
What needs improvement?
The threat time interval lags a little, especially if there's a heavy load on the firewall.
For how long have I used the solution?
I've been working with FortiOS for over four years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
FortiOS is one of the most stable solutions.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
FortiOS is very easy to scale.
How are customer service and support?
Fortinet's technical support is good.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup was easy and could be done without an integrator or other external assistance.
What other advice do I have?
Compared to other firewalls like Palo Alto, FortiOS is easy to deploy and upgrade - for example, an upgrade of Palo Alto takes at least thirty minutes, but Fortigate can be done in around ten. I would rate FortiOS 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.
Security Architect - SME at Rrivate Entrepreneur
Easy to use, beneficial graphical user interface, and feature rich
Pros and Cons
- "The most valuable feature of Fortinet FortiOS network segregation, UTM, and antivirus, freight management protection, such as DDoS. Additionally, the CLI and the GUI are easy to use. The architecture makes sense, and the command in the CLI are organized well. They have quite a lot of features are easy to use, and are user-friendly. Any novice can use Fortinet FortiOS without an issue."
- "There is some room for improvement in the support."
What is our primary use case?
I am using Fortinet FortiOS for firewall security.
What is most valuable?
The most valuable feature of Fortinet FortiOS network segregation, UTM, and antivirus, freight management protection, such as DDoS. Additionally, the command-line interface(CLI) and the graphical user interface(GUI) are easy to use. The architecture makes sense, and the commands in the CLI are organized well. They have quite a lot of features are easy to use, and are user-friendly. Any novice can use Fortinet FortiOS without an issue.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using Fortinet FortiOS for approximately eight years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
The stability of Fortinet FortiOS initial setup is simple and it is user-friendly. To do the whole process of transferring the firewall configurations and updates took approximately one day.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
We have approximately 2,000 users that use what hardware Fortinet FortiOS manages. All types of verticles are passing through the solution.
How are customer service and support?
I rate the support from Fortinet FortiOS a four out of five.
There is some room for improvement in the support.
How was the initial setup?
Fortinet FortiOS initial setup is simple and it is user-friendly. To do the whole process of transferring the firewall configurations and updates took approximately one day.
What was our ROI?
We have seen a return on investment because a lot of the features are effective. We do not need to train our engineers to use the solution, it is very easy to use.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
The price of Fortinet FortiOS is comparable to other similar solutions on the market. We are on an annual license to use the solution.
What other advice do I have?
I rate Fortinet FortiOS 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.
Responsible for Cyber Security at IMT IP
Useful blocking lists, reliable, and simple setup
Pros and Cons
- "The most important features of Fortinet FortiOS are the ability to block and make white and black lists. Additionally, the filtering of user access to websites is useful."
- "Fortinet FortiOS is stable. However, last month we had an issue with a released patch. We had to receive another update to fix the firewall issue consuming all of the resources. The patches should be tested more before going into circulation."
What is most valuable?
The most important features of Fortinet FortiOS are the ability to block and make white and black lists. Additionally, the filtering of user access to websites is useful.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using Fortinet FortiOS for approximately five years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
Fortinet FortiOS is stable. However, last month we had an issue with a released patch. We had to receive another update to fix the firewall issue consuming all of the resources. The patches should be tested more before going into circulation.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
We have approximately 800 users using the solution.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
We were previously using other firewalls, such as Palo Alto. They are similar solutions.
How was the initial setup?
Fortinet FortiOS's initial setup is simple.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
We had a three-year license to use Fortinet FortiOS and we are going to renew it this year.
What other advice do I have?
I rate Fortinet FortiOS 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.
Senior Manager (Engineering Department) at a comms service provider with 10,001+ employees
Performs better than competing solutions
Pros and Cons
- "Performance-wise, I think FortiOS is much better than its Juniper counterpart. Based on our actual experience and performance metrics, FortiOS-based products are much better than Juniper."
- "They're using a lot of application-specific IC, so that may be causing some performance issues. And whenever a Fortinet adds new features, it can affect performance."
What is our primary use case?
We use FortiOS for the internet router and firewall for our customers' offices. In some of the smaller offices, there is only one FortiGate, but the hub site may have a pair of firewalls in an HA configuration.
What is most valuable?
Performance-wise, I think FortiOS is much better than its Juniper counterpart. Based on our actual experience and performance metrics, FortiOS-based products are much better than Juniper. We've experienced some trouble with Juniper in the past and some unstable, unpredictable performance on Juniper devices.
What needs improvement?
They're using a lot of application-specific IC, so that may be causing some performance issues. And whenever a Fortinet adds new features, it can affect performance. I don't handle implementation, so I have to ask my frontline engineers to implement new features, like software-defined WAN service. But I'm not sure these are stable and acceptable because this project is still in progress. FortiOS and all the other firewall products are adding SD-WAN service, and this kind of service needs a lot of resources from the fabrics, the hardware, and the software. Still, I think we have more confidence deploying this service with FortiOS than using the other brands, like Juniper.
For how long have I used the solution?
I've been using FortiOS for more than 15 years.
How are customer service and support?
Fortinet provides sufficient support, and their response time is reasonable.
How was the initial setup?
We have a team of around 10 engineers that manage FortiOS-based devices and all other firewall brands.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
FortiOS has a UTM feature, for which you have to buy an annual subscription. Most brands of firewalls will also have such a subscription.
What other advice do I have?
I rate FortiOS at least eight out of 10, and we recommend it to our customers.
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
Download our free Fortinet FortiOS Report and get advice and tips from experienced pros
sharing their opinions.
Updated: December 2024
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Buyer's Guide
Download our free Fortinet FortiOS Report and get advice and tips from experienced pros
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