Fortinet FortiOS Reviews

I would recommend Fortinet FortiOS for a small to mid-sized company, anywhere up to the employee size of 500 or 1,000. For the bigger ones that I have worked with, those are all enterprise and they have used all 100 and 110 series.

I admired the single-pane management interface of Fortinet FortiOS because I have been using older versions of Cisco firewalls and WatchGuard firewalls, as well as a couple of other firewalls. Access to those firewalls was through clients, and if you didn't have a client installed, you did not have access to the firewall from anywhere. Fortinet had the best feature where you could access the interface through a browser, which made the access and controls very simple.

When assessing Fortinet FortiOS machine learning capabilities for risk mitigation, I would rate it four out of five. Nowadays, many more capabilities have come in where it can perform machine learning. However, five to ten years ago, there was not much machine learning happening at the firewall end. Fortinet was the first one to introduce machine learning and self-learning features where it would analyze logs and reconfigure itself. The blacklist that we received, including all the RBL lists, were really great in self-learning mode.

I would not say that Fortinet FortiOS is not very scalable. Generally, what happens is that for enterprises, we hire consultants who do the capacity planning and sizing to determine what kind of firewalls to put in place. At the same time, it is not only the number of users; it also depends on the number of WAN links coming in and everything, because we have been using Fortinet for bandwidth shaping and many other bandwidth-related functions.

They should improve their machine learning AI capabilities of Fortinet FortiOS because there is too much competition. Other players are also improving and making a lot of changes in their UI and overall operating system.

I have been dealing with Fortinet for more than 15 or 16 years now, since 2010.

As an end user, I was pretty much satisfied with Fortinet FortiOS 40F. There were no lags, there were no issues, and no hanging of the firewall. Once configured, unless and until any policy change is required, it works in such a way that you can just forget about it after configuring it. It is that smooth, robust, and sturdy.

For enterprises, we hire consultants who do the capacity planning and sizing to determine what kind of firewalls to put in place. At the same time, it is not only the number of users; it also depends on the number of WAN links coming in and everything, because we have been using Fortinet for bandwidth shaping and many other bandwidth-related functions.

I would rate their technical support 10 out of 10.

Positive

The initial setup is very straightforward. Considering that I have worked on multiple firewalls, Fortinet has the simplest UI for initial setup, post-setup, policy changes, and upgrades.

I have worked with the 60 series, the 100 series, and 110 series when it comes to Fortinet FortiOS VM on-premises.

I have not used the NGFW feature of Fortinet FortiOS, so I would not be able to comment on that.

I will not comment on the impact of Fortinet FortiOS automation features on routine security tasks because I have not used those features.

There is nothing about how Fortinet FortiOS can be improved because you always have advanced versions. If there are certain limitations in the 40 series or 40F series particularly, then either you can put out software updates which can improve the overall operating system. There is not much scope for hardware upgrade, but if a hardware upgrade is required, you can always go for a higher version of the firewall. The 40F or the entire 40 series is targeted for a particular audience. Considering that audience where we call a small business office or a medium business office, the 40F seems to be fine. Nowadays since everything is on cloud, such as emails on cloud and many other things on cloud, all those real-time checks which were earlier required for spam and everything are not required now. However, with the introduction of AI and many other automated things, the things would automatically improve. A software update or a firmware upgrade from Fortinet would definitely improve the existing hardware.

I rate Fortinet FortiOS around 8 out of 10 from an end-user perspective for the kind of organization that I have used. However, since I have spent the major part of my career in enterprises, it would not be a fit for me. From my use in the enterprise business, I would rate it around 5 to 6. It is not because there are limitations in the box; it is because that particular box is not fit and designed for the kind of enterprise audience.

I do not foresee any additional features for Fortinet FortiOS right now because so many things have moved out of the on-premises environment that taking care of those securities is now not required. The only thing where we are looking at security is the perimeter security and the endpoint security, whereas all other servers which were either in the live environment or the DMZ zone have mostly moved on. I would say that 50 to 60 percent of the market has started using everything on cloud.

Maybe a few years down the line, the on-premises firewalls would become less popular, but I would say it is a cycle. If five years down the line, we are not going to use the on-premises model, then perhaps 20 years down the line, again we will come back to the on-premises model. That is what is happening in the cloud environment right now. Everybody started to move on to the cloud and moved their server instances, and now gradually people are coming back to the on-premises because they are not able to afford the charges.

Since I have not worked fully on 40F, I would not be judging it on the overall operations. Whatever components that I have worked on, I have given the rating based on that. It was hardly three months that we placed the order and got it operated.

I rate Fortinet FortiOS around 8 out of 10 overall.

When we talk about Fortinet, I am working with products such as FortiAuthenticator, DDoS, FortiToken, and Fortinet FortiOS. Through Fortinet FortiOS, I'm working with FortiWeb and FortiGate.

I have been working with the Fortinet FortiOS operation system for six years. I am using Fortinet FortiOS to manage FortiGate. The operation system is only for FortiWeb.

Based on my experience, the functions and features in the Fortinet FortiOS operation system that I have found most valuable include multi-tenancy capabilities, which is an important feature. In terms of functionality of the Fortinet FortiOS operation system, I consider the threat prevention functions to be really useful.

I believe there could be improvements in the Fortinet FortiOS operation system, such as better integration and a more centralized dashboard.

It would be great to see some AI functionality with Fortinet FortiOS. Regarding the initial setup for Fortinet FortiOS, I find the setup process simple.

I have been working with the Fortinet FortiOS operation system for six years.

For stability, I would rate Fortinet FortiOS a nine out of ten.

Regarding scalability and the ability to scale and expand, I would rate that as an eight out of ten.

My technical support experience from Fortinet deserves a rating of eight out of ten.

Positive

Regarding the initial setup for Fortinet FortiOS, I find the setup process simple.

I can compare Fortinet FortiOS with its main competitor, PAN-OS. In my opinion, Fortinet FortiOS provides significant benefits to users, such as saving time, saving money, and streamlining workflow processes.

I am a Senior Network Engineer for Trends IT. For Fortinet, I am a real user of the product, not a partner.

This review will assist other users in choosing between PAN-OS and Fortinet FortiOS, based on helpful documentation and courses suggested by users who recommend it, aiding someone in their decision process.

On a scale of 1-10, I rate Fortinet FortiOS an 8 out of 10.

Neutral

We have been using FortiOS for more than ten years in our organization. We primarily work as a system integrator, providing services to other organizations. We use FortiOS for network security with features like web filtering, application control, IPS, and more.

FortiOS is very user-friendly and easy to configure for L1, L2, and L3 personnel. Its web filtering, application control, and IPS features are very user-friendly, easy to manage, and deploy. 

The threat intelligence in FortiOS is very high, and the system is scalable without additional licensing costs. FortiOS allows us to expand the number of users and devices as our network needs grow.

Compared to other market leaders like Palo Alto and Check Point, FortiOS has many bugs in its initial releases. Although they quickly address bug fixes, this aspect should be improved since unexpected bugs can cause disasters, requiring immediate attention and upgrades, which can be challenging for customers.

I have been using FortiOS for more than ten years.

I would rate the stability of FortiOS as an eight out of ten. It's stable but has room for improvement.

FortiOS is a scalable solution, and I rate its scalability an eight out of ten. It allows for the expansion of users and devices without additional licensing costs.

Fortinet technical support is very responsive and helpful, and I would rate them a nine out of ten.

Positive

I have experience with other brands such as Palo Alto, Sophos, Check Point, and SonicWall. However, I am a fan of FortiGate due to its user-friendliness and ease of configuration.

The initial setup of FortiOS is straightforward. It typically takes between 30 to 60 minutes, depending on the complexity of the requirements.

I have a team of ten system engineers, although not all of them are engaged in installations simultaneously. They take turns based on the routing, switching, or firewall project requirements.

The pricing of FortiOS is competitive and reasonable compared to other leading products such as Palo Alto and Check Point. The local office and distribution in Sri Lanka make it beneficial with several moving models available.

I am satisfied with the pricing, licensing, and setup costs of FortiOS, rating it nine out of ten compared to other familiar leading firewalls.

I do not work with other vendors currently for new implementations, however, I know about other brands like Palo Alto, Sophos, and Check Point.

Overall, I rate FortiOS a nine out of ten. I recommend FortiOS to other users since it is user-friendly, easy to configure, and offers great monitoring capabilities. It's a good option for users of varying levels.

I have been using the solution to set up a pair of Fortinet F-200 firewalls with a pair of Nexus switches. I have also used it to manage wireless access points.

FortiOS is the operating system that runs on FortiGate firewalls, and I have managed wireless networks through it as well. It acts as the wireless controller for two sites where access points are deployed. It is user-friendly when it comes to turning on features, and it has been reliable and effective.

There should be more documentation on how to use the CLI or how to perform CLI versions of tasks that can be done through the GUI.

I have not encountered any problems with it. I have no issues.

The customer service is satisfactory. I have been able to reach the necessary contacts without being bounced around, and I would rate their support eight out of ten.

Positive

The initial setup was very straightforward. I was able to set up an active-passive configuration with two firewalls effortlessly.

The return on investment lies in its reliability and effectiveness. Once it is deployed, I do not have to revisit or replace the hardware.

I am aware that Fortinet products are somewhat pricey, similar to Cisco equivalents, however, they have justified their price point.

Overall, I would rate FortiOS at least a nine out of ten. I recommend FortiOS because its support is good, the product is reliable, and the implementation is easy. 

We generally use FortiOS for network security and parameter security in our organization.

The features that are very important for us include IPS, web blocker, and application blocker. These features enhance network security significantly. Additionally, the solution offers good threat intelligence, which is crucial for our customers' security purposes.

Real-time logging and monitoring could be improved. These aspects need enhancement to better track activities within the network.

I have been using FortiOS for almost fifteen years.

Stability is a seven out of ten because during version migrations, and sometimes with new versions, Fortinet is not as good. Palo Alto is more stable than Fortinet, but this depends on the configuration.

I would rate FortiOS's scalability as ten out of ten. It is a scalable product. When customers' networks grow and needs expand, we can easily switch between models to trade up devices.

Technical support and customer service are good. I would rate them nine or ten out of ten.

Positive

Palo Alto is more stable than Fortinet, but the use of each depends on configuration and operation.

The initial setup of FortiOS is straightforward for me. The deployment process can take from a half day to several days, depending on the size of the customer and their specific needs.

I work with a team, and usually, three engineers handle the maintenance and sales services.

We generally use Fortinet because our company is a system integrator partner with Fortinet. Fortinet is strong in terms of cost and compatibility with other vendors.

I rate the pricing for FortiOS as eight or nine out of ten. It is an affordable solution for us.

We have tried new solutions from Palo Alto Networks, such as Cortex XDR.

Fortinet delivers a good balance of price and performance. They always develop and update their services. The technical know-how is very huge in Turkey, making it easy to find professionals familiar with Fortinet. I would rate the overall solution as nine out of ten.

We primarily use Fortinet FortiOS for site-to-site VPNs, reporting features, and wireless capabilities. It is well integrated within the Fortinet ecosystem.

The main challenge with Fortinet FortiOS is integration with third-party solutions. I don't see any other areas for improvement. Nowadays, all products work well for 50-60 percent of needs. We must only fulfill 60-70 percent of client requirements because they don't use 100 percent of product features. Banks and financial sectors might need more security features. I don't work much in banking, but they often use multiple products for different security layers, not just firewalls. They might use various products or APIs for different purposes. In the end, clients use the products that suit their needs.

At the moment, I don't see any additional features that need to improve, as it's already performing well, even for small businesses. However, one area that could be improved is the consistency in pricing across different regions. Sometimes, the pricing varies depending on the distributor or region, which can confuse. For instance, online prices may not match what we get from distributors, particularly for subscriptions.

I have been using the product for ten years. 

Pricing for the tool can vary. Sometimes, aggressive pricing is offered at the start, but later, as subscriptions and expansions are needed, the costs can increase, and customers may have to pay whatever is required.

I recommend Fortinet FortiOS for SMBs. In my opinion, whether Fortinet FortiOS or Sophos is better depends on the specific features and requirements of the client. For example, Sophos offers strong centralized management and mobile monitoring, which might be advantageous in certain scenarios. The decision isn't solely based on features; budget and how the client plans to use the product are also important factors. Some products excel in certain areas but may not be as strong in others. Therefore, we typically suggest a product that meets about eighty to ninety percent of the client's needs. Sometimes, depending on the situation, we might even recommend alternative solutions, including Chinese products, if they fit the client's requirements and budget better.

The tool's impact on operational costs also depends on the scale of the customer's operations. FortiOS delivers great performance and value for money for multi-office, multi-organization, or multi-branch setups. However, for single-office setups, a smaller device might be more than enough, as many services like email are now cloud-based, reducing the need for extensive on-premise protection. Rather than investing in hardware, we sometimes use software-based solutions installed in data centers or hypervisors, depending on the customer's situation, requirements, and budget.

Our budget presents different challenges, and we have various types of customers and consumers. I want to know your exact expectations from us so I can clarify things easily. You've implemented matrices, and most products support them. However, compatibility with other products is very important. Sometimes, our VLANs or switches aren't compatible with the tool, so we must be careful. Many switches aren't compatible with it, so we might choose a different solution.

Sometimes, we choose to implement FortiOS across many sites and devices based on the budget. Fortinet often gives us good prices, but not always. It depends on which distributor offers the best price. These days, the market isn't just about features, as most products support all areas. We must make things easy, stay within budget, and meet customer requirements. That's how we decide which products to use. 

I rate the overall solution an eight out of ten. 

We are using this device for LB Gateway, so it's indicated as part of my network. So it's helped us to infilter filters and the traffic as well as the Internet and local traffic.

I find filtering traffic, filtering web traffic, session traffic, and managing the network as valuable features. Moreover, Fortinet is already providing the features that we need, such as HCRP.

There is room for improvement in the reporting part. The reporting is only for logging data, and it's just a tabulation of the log in the report. I would like to be able to take down more information in the event of an incident.

I have been using this solution for ten years. I currently use the version 7.4.7.12.

Stability is high. I would rate the stability an eight out of ten. 

On the scalability part, actually, it is not scalable at all because it's a hardware device, and so it cannot be scaled. So you have to upgrade it.

You have to go for a new one for this. That is actually not scalable. The scalability part is not applicable to this product. 

For example, there are several devices, and all my customers are using this product. There are around 2000 end-users who utilize it 24/7. 

The documentation for Fortinet FortiOS is available on their website, and the Fortinet book is enough for handling this product.

Positive

I have used some software-based solution, but it was not effective that much. I've downloaded Check Point. I've already checked on SonicWall.

The previous solution was not effective enough. First of all, the stability, which is great. And then the manageability is quite easy for this. So that's why I switched to FortiOS.

The initial setup is not easy, and as well as it is not too difficult. It is a moderator, so I would rate my experience with the initial setup a seven out of ten, where ten is easy, and one is difficult.  

Our in-house team deployed this solution. It took around an hour to deploy the solution. 

The deployment process, in general, involves unpacking the box and connecting it to our network through the control panel and the console panel. My team usually configures it as per our requirements. We then keep it on in production.

Two people are involved in the deployment process. Moreover, regular maintenance involves software updates, and that is an automated system. I monitor it to ensure it has been executed successfully or not.

There is a return on investment in terms of security on my network. I saw around 7% ROI. 

It is not cheap. I would rate the price of this solution a seven out of ten, where one is very cheap, and ten is very expensive. You have to purchase the license at least. So it's an additional cost.

For smaller businesses, there are smaller operators available, which are cheaper comparatively. But for a large enterprise, it is a costly solution.

I would recommend this solution to other companies. Overall, I would rate the solution a seven out of ten. 

I used FortiOS, the Fortinet firewall operating system, to connect two additional sites. I set up IPSec VPNs to connect all three sites. I also configured firewall rules to block certain countries and websites, such as gambling and social media sites like Facebook. Additionally, I implemented firewall rules to protect our web servers from XSS and SQL Injection attacks. Initially, I configured the VPN using IPsec, but when I couldn't find a suitable client for our workstations and desktops, I switched to SSL VPN. Fortinet provides dedicated FortiClient VPN software, which I used for this setup.

At the beginning of this month, we experienced DDoS and SQL injection attacks. The attack originated from a botnet and seemed to be associated with BroadNet. It was coming from a Fortinet device. I had to contact Spectrum to inform them about the botnet attack and provide them with the specific IP addresses to block. This action likely prevented us from being hacked and protected our web servers that were exposed to the public. This incident highlighted the usefulness of FortiOS's threat intelligence features.

The firewall options in FortiOS allow us to open up access to our vendors for EDI and all its features.

Fortinet could integrate something like a YubiKey for 2FA with their SSL VPN clients. Additionally, Fortinet could support WireGuard for our small office locations.

These small offices have two clients that log into our VPN from their workstations. Since all our sites use FortiGate, it would be great if I could set up WireGuard on the Fortinet device. Instead of using IPSec, having WireGuard support for site-to-site VPNs would be wonderful.

I have been using Fortinet FortiOS since February this year.

They handle the support because it's their device. We don't own it; we lease it from Spectrum. So, I can't speak to that for now. However, when we used to own the FortiGate, every time I called Fortinet for support, I would rate their response time at eight out of ten and their problem-solving ability at nine out of ten.

Once they respond, because it takes me a while to navigate the bureaucracy, I call the 800 number. They ask for various information, tokens, and other details. After I explain the problem, they call me back again. Usually, they assign the issue to an engineer, which also takes time. The engineer then calls me and solves the problem. So, I have to deal with a lot of bureaucracy. 

Positive

We had a really old FortiGate there, and when we switched to the newer FortiGate, it was cheaper than the old one.

When we purchase a FortiGate, it comes with FortiOS. Overall, the pricing for the device and related components is better than average. In comparison, FortiGate offers more competitive pricing than Palo Alto and Cisco.

If they could log in, it would be possible only if FortiOS is included. With FortiOS, you can manage all your devices. Let's say you have ten devices and need to manage all of them, including patching FortiOS. FortiCloud helps you with that, and it's nice to have FortiCloud as a bundle with FortiOS. Even if you only have one device, I would still recommend it.

I suggest incorporating AI or machine learning to anticipate threats in the future. For instance, if you configure a new site with your FortiGate, AI could detect any misconfigurations. It would be beneficial for FortiOS, FortiGate, or Fortinet to have an AI feature that alerts you to potential misconfigurations in devices, like an edge router, communicating with others. This AI could also analyze your logs to identify patterns, such as frequent false positives, and recommend reconfiguring the device to minimize unnecessary alerts. 

It's good. In my case, I was the only one dealing with the devices at that time. I would get all kinds of false positives and alerts. Sometimes, if there's a new device, the configuration from the old device to the new device doesn't translate. Maybe on the old device, everything defaults to open, and you must close everything. On the new device, everything might be defaulted to closed, and you have to open up the required ports. So, something like that would be nice, where it's easier to configure and find out if you did something wrong.

Overall, I rate the solution an eight-point five to nine out of ten.

We primarily use the solution for basic access, filtering, and more. 

We have set up the IPsec VPN through that. It's a UTM device.

It's easy to manage, actually. It's a UTM device rather than a normal firewall as compared to Cisco PIX, or Juniper. 

The web filtering is a key feature of almost every firewall. However, this appliance is more secure, reliable, and stable. We haven't had any problems, so far.

For ten to 12 years it has been quite secure.

It's scalable.

Policy management is very easy, and configuration is very easy as well. 

The support is also good.

Real-time threat monitoring is not there. The traffic hitting the firewall needs to be improved to have real-time monitoring. Traffic should be more visible and should be available on the dashboard. Even if something is blocked, we should be able to see the traffic. We need a security posture showing the organization's security posture to see the traffic hitting the firewall, the user or entity behavior, et cetera. If there's an abnormality, it should be reported. We need to be able to generate multiple reports and see everything in the logs. Logs are only available for a week; we should have them visible for up to three or six months or even a year.  

It can be a bit expensive.

If you have an emergency and need support immediately, it can be hard to reach them as they don't have a direct number to call. 

I've been working with the solution since 2007.

This is reliable, stable, and problem-free. There are no bugs or glitches. It doesn't crash or freeze. I'd rate the product five out of five in terms of stability.

It is a scalable solution. It's easy to expand. That said, appliance to appliance, there is a limitation. However, I would rate it four out of five in terms of scaling capability. 

Our organization has 400 to 500 people on the solution right now. There's another organization as well that has 300 people using it. Overall, 10,000 or more people are likely using it across 2,000 locations. Every location has one or two firewalls to make it redundant in a failover mode. If one fails or one stops working, the other will take over. That never happens, however, it ensures we're safe and covered.  

Technical support is great. They are helpful and responsive. 

We have to send emails to get assistance. The response time is good, however, if something is an emergency, then it is difficult to reach people. There is no number to call to get help right away. 

Positive

I have previous experience with Palo Alto and Juniper. We also have used Cisco.

I didn't choose Fortinet. It was already being used when I came along. It was a standard practice to use Fortinet across locations worldwide. 

The initial setup is not complex. It's very straightforward and quite simple. 

It has an easy initial setup process. Three people we involved in the setup process.

We first set up the basic policy, and then we did an IPsec VPN, and then, based on the access requirement of each business vertical, we manage the setup. We define the access website URLs that will be restricted or allowed, including port blocking, et cetera.

The time it takes to set up varies. Sometimes it's a night or a few hours, sometimes it's up to ten days. A basic setup will not take one or two hours.

We handled the process of implementation in-house. We did not need outside assistance.

We have not done an ROI calculation to see if there is anything there to note. 

We pay a yearly licensing fee, however, in India, you can get licensing for up to two years. It is a bit expensive. That said, I haven't done a comparative analysis with other options on the market.

I'd rate it a four out of five in terms of affordability.

We're Fortinet clients. 

We are using the latest version of the solution. 

We are using Fortinet 60D, 80E, and 100 also.

I'd rate this solution nine out of ten.