Fortinet FortiGate IPS Reviews

We have FortiGate with all the licenses - antivirus, IPS, and advanced threat protection. It's a combination of protection in the perimeter. We have configured some rules for IPS protection in the FortiGate perimeter.

We use it as part of a combination of protections because we have the DMT virus, the IPS, and WOFF option. We protect our services like Apache, our website and the internet.

We configure the rules for the Windows server, the Linux server, and Apache and AIS.

The feature that I find most valuable is its protection of the websites.

I would like to be able to generate reports about the protections that we have. I would like a report feature.

For example, I would like to see that in VPN and FortiGate, that the equipment that connects to the network is evaluated. Right now, FortiGate validates the users in the active directory and the users have the right permissions to connect. I would also add the user and the computers that are allowed in the active directory. It evaluates the actual active directory, and some computers are allowed but not all. Only the computers that are in the active directory. Right now, when you connect to the VPN, FortiGate checks the active directory. They have the check feature but it should be improved.

This solution has records but I would like to see that in IPS you could define your rules - we have almost 10 or 15 rules, and see if these rules provided protections over the month. For example, to track a specific rule across the IPS solution.

I have been using Fortinet FortiGate IPS for five years and Cisco for about eight years.

Yes, it is stable. The solution protects us from attack. We have heard that other companies are being attacked, but we are not since we installed FortiGate.

The way the configuration was supplied was correct and we don't have any events. But we heard about other, similar companies, that do have events, but we don't.

Fortinet FortiGate IPS is scalable.

In our case, we are a company of 100 employees and we selected a solution for 250, so we didn't have the need to scale because we designed it from the beginning for more people. We are still using it after five years. We have to change the equipment because they don't allow us to migrate to a new version. In the renewable licenses, they offered me a trade-in and I returned the last FortiGate and they gave me the new FortiGate. I have the FortiGate 600D model. After five years we had to change the equipment. With Cisco, for example, you can keep going. I have the same model with Cisco for eight years and I didn't have to change it. But in FortiGate, after five years, I had to trade it in.

The technical support is excellent. I prefer to open a case directly to FortiGate because I can have a session with a technical contact, and we can review the case directly with the support. We also have some protocols, like BGP in the perimeter, and in two cases, I needed the support person to connect me to another person for technical support to help me with our special protocol.

The support is 24 hours.

The initial setup us is easy and friendly.

It took almost a month. In a month, we deployed all the FortiGate with the features and the rules.

My advice to anyone considering Fortinet FortiGate IPS is that it is important to set the right rules and set all the configurations to make them preferred for a partner. The partner makes all the rules that the company needs because if you stay the course, although it's easy and friendly in the beginning, some configurations need a common line and require you to design how it works right around the network. So it is important that you take a partner who has experience with designs and can implement the correct solution for your company.

On a scale of one to ten, I would give Fortinet FortiGate IPS a nine

Any time a firewall is deployed at a customer site, we'll use the intrusion detection, mostly on the input side, on VPN connections, as well as forward connections and established related environments. If you go to a website, you want to be sure it returns the content that it should, for instance. So we'll use IPS both for user traffic originating from behind the firewall, inbound NAT PAT, as well as for VPN connections. We are partners with Fortinet. 

Integrated management would probably be the most valuable feature. I can take a single FortiGate and manage switches and access points from a single login. I think it's on par with a Palo or a Check Point. I also like their sandbox. The solution covers what we need for most environments, whether small, midsize or enterprise. That aside, the user interface is pretty good and the packet capture works fairly well. The CLI is their own flavor of everything, but that's going to be true for just about anybody that's out there. IPS has widespread capabilities.

The biggest problem we have is the way they handle virtual IPs. It's not handled well at all and even pfSense handles that better. There are three different ways to configure it, depending on whether it is an internal or a through process, and it's just unnecessarily complicated. It would be nice if everybody got together and agreed on some language in their CLIs, but that's not going to happen. If you only dealt with one product on a regular basis, then the problem wouldn't be as evident.

I've been using this solution for many years. 

Scalability is relative because a given platform only has so much horsepower. It's not too bad to move from one platform to another, as long as they're on the same software rev. If they're not, then you run into the typical hassles where a backup from an earlier rev doesn't cleanly install on a newer rev. It would be nice if that was a little bit cleaner. 

The customer support is excellent. The first-line tech support is pretty quick about establishing whether they're going to be able to address a given problem. They can often escalate it on the phone, but they're also pretty good and timely if you're going through email. Once you have somebody assigned, it's pretty good.
We also have great local engineering support here in North Carolina. 

The initial setup isn't too complicated for a single WAN. You have to assign your name, your address, set up your aliases and then build rules. I think the VPN configuration could be a little simpler, but it's no harder than setting it up on a SonicWall, for instance. The setup can be done in less than an hour, including running updates and registration. A single person can deploy 10 switches, a pair of FortiGates in HA, and let's say 10 access points. One person will do the programming and then all installation is done by two specialists by code.

Fortigate is as cost-effective as its competitors. As the boxes get big, it gets pretty expensive but that's for large organizations that have a substantial IT budget.

My advice is to go through some basic training before trying to take it out of the box because the language that's used to configure FortiGate is not the language used on the Cisco ASA or on WatchGuard, or Juniper. The language is a little different so what you think you're configuring and what you're able to configure are two different things. The way that the policies are applied is different than it is from other boxes. So just because you have a technician-level cert with Cisco, you will not be able to successfully configure a VPN on a FortiGate. 

I rate this solution eight out of 10. 

Fortinet FortiGate IPS utilizes the main firewalls.

Fortinet FortiGate IPS is a very good firewall. We don't have any complaints, it is doing its job correctly.

The functionality is good.

It's simple to operate and use.

There are various firewalls on the market, but we found Fortinet to be the most appropriate for the structures we have in place for our company. It is simple to comprehend, run, and maintain. The logging method is effective; it provides us with a clear picture of how threats are deflected or avoided.

When everything is taken into account, the migration is quite painless. I believe that improvements will continue to come from the fact that as threat vectors get more complex around the world, advanced threat protection and deep packet inspection will become increasingly vital. That is where technology needs to advance much more quickly.

The most important feature to have is zero trust, which is lacking in Fortinet FortiGate IPS.

Zero trust is something that has to be embedded and I would still like to see how Fortinet approaches it.

I have been working with Fortinet FortiGate IPS for a couple of years.

This solution is updated on a regular basis.

The Fortinet FortiGate IPS is an extremely stable product.

I can't speak to scalability because we are getting started with virtual machine-based firewalls. We are transitioning to FortiGate VM.

In our organization, we have 3,000 users.

The technical support is good. They are made up of experienced professionals.

The initial setup is very straightforward.

This solution is maintained by one person. We are using AMC services, which includes multiple people, but we have only chosen one.

During the deployment phase, we always utilize the assistance of an integrator. Working with them was a good experience for us.

The licensing costs are very competitive.

There are no fees in addition to the licensing costs.

When evaluating the solution, we wanted to make sure that it was simple to use, operate, and simple to maintain.

We have done a lot of research because we're bringing in the cloud version. We considered other vendors, but because we already had an on-premises Fortinet with a robust backend monitoring system, we decided that extending Fortinet into the Cloud was the best solution.

Gaining a good understanding of the simplicity of cloud migration will take about two months. It's not so much the implementation as it is the services that support it.

Before proposing a solution, it was critical that they have a progressive awareness of what we have and that they comprehend our requirements.

Because Fortinet was involved, we were reassured that they were acting in our best interests.

We also utilize the VPN with Fortinet, but we intend to go to zero trust in the future, eliminating the need for this dependency.

We are expanding our Fortinet for our cloud security. The VM will be implemented in our public cloud, which is where we operate.

I wouldn't say it's specific to FortiGate; it applies to all firewalls. You should consider the simplicity of the task at hand, as well as the convenience of deployment, maintenance, and, most crucially, the availability of qualified personnel to carry it out. These are the reasons we chose Fortinet.

I would rate Fortinet FortiGate IPS an eight out of ten.

I use the Fortinet as a perimeter firewall. All of the servers are on this Fortinet firewall. All traffic comes from the perimeters and email accounts and we also use it for this purpose.

The solution is easy to use.

It is a scalable product.

The solution is stable. 

Its GUI is very intuitive.

I found the solution very easy to set up.

The IPS's correct application control is perfect.

Overall, the integration could be better. The FortiManager is likely not good. I can't use it as it is unstable most of the time. We'd like to have an SD-WAN for a sandbox, for the Fortinet perimeter. We'd like to be able to manage different boxes.

I've been using the solution for two years. 

The stability is great. There are no issues with crashing or freezing. There are no bugs or glitches. 

The product is scalable and easy to expand. 

We have ten users on the solution. It is mostly the network team that deals with the product for the most part. We have 200 or so end-users as well that indirectly use it regularly.

We do plan to increase usage and would like to upgrade to a Fortinet perimeter firewall (a 501 model), however, on the financial side, it's difficult right now. 

Technical support is great. I called them twice in the last month and they were very helpful and responsive. 

We also have experience with Palo Alto products.

We had ASAs and other legacy firewalls that we used in the past.

The product is very straightforward and simple to set up. It's not a complex process at all. 

We have around 10 engineers that handle the operation, maintenance, and follow-up.

We used partners as the integrator to facilitate anything with the vendor. It didn't take long and we were able to have different timelines for different deployment areas. 

I have not witnessed an ROI.

The cost of the product is reasonable. It's not overly expensive. 

We pay a yearly license that renews every three years. 

It's been two years since we set up the license. I can't recall how much we agreed to pay.

We looked at Fortinet and Palo Alto. Fortinet is well known in the industry, which is why we focused on it. It was reasonably priced and offered good efficiency. 

I'd rate the solution an eight out of ten. We're pretty happy with the product in general.

We use this for bandwidth management and user security when accessing specific internet service devices.

Before using this solution, we had many problems accessing our resources because we don't have a lot of internet bandwidth. And by using application control and traffic shaping, we were able to manage users to quickly access services that are important. This tool has aided in the simplicity of our day-to-day management.

I value it's IPS and application control solution.

I would like to be able to see more log details.

I have been using this solution as an integrator for the past five years.

The solution is pretty much stable.

The solution is scalable and we are planning to increase usage in the future.

Customer service and support is great.

We used Sophos in the past. We switched after seeing a presentation on Fortinet FortiGate IPS where we concluded it would be easier to use and more secure for our company.

I think that setup was easy or medium depending on number of resources. Deployment took about a week. We wanted to have control over all of our users so it took some time to create each user on the device one by one and allocate a security profile to specific group of users.

We have this for about one hundred users which include the administrators, IT security and network manager.

Implementation was done via in-house team.

There are currently five team members maintaining the tool.

We do not have physical data for this, but we know that this product has allowed us to have less people working on the security side which provides the company with more human capital to work on other projects. 

It's a year based license.

We evaluated Cisco Meraki. The main difference was between the configuration and the security option that they give to us. With FortiGate we have so many security features that we never have to make any sophisticated configurations making it easy to manage.

Potential customers should first approach Fortinet pre-sales. Our pre-sales agent was able to give us good advice. His technical and buying advice made implementation of the solution easy. 

There are also many resources available on the web that make implementation easy.

I would rate this an eight out of ten.

We just use it for intrusion detection and prevention.  

I think that the VPN software used through FortiGate is what our clients appreciate the most. They get secure reliable connections without lag.  

I have been pretty satisfied with the application as it is. I am pleased with the layout and how everything is integrated. Sometimes we will have a client who has a firewall that is not FortiGate, and often times we are able to convince them to switch over to using FortiGate as their solution because of our recommendations.  

On a little different subject, the software for antivirus that we usually use with FortiGate is called Webroot. I know that some of our Apple / Mac clients experience some issues with the integration of that product. The integration, in that case, is not seamless. That is an issue that could be addressed.  

We have been using Fortinet FortiGate IPS (Intrusion Prevention Service) since February of 2020. So that is about seven or eight months.  

The FortiGate product is very stable.  

We have not scaled the use of the product much during the time that we have used it. Because we have small business clients and we usually are involved in offering other lower-end firewalls, I am not familiar with scaling FortiGate up because our clients are generally not poised for short-term growth. Our clientele is always 500 or fewer employees and so it is a pretty straightforward implementation and common, smaller user group size.  

I have not had to reach out to technical support. That is actually one of the reasons why I think we are pretty satisfied with the software and hardware: we have not had to reach out. I am the senior technician here and if I have not had to reach out to FortiGate support yet, that is a pretty good track record.  

The initial setup is straightforward. Just click a button and it is there in a short amount of time. Nothing complicated about the setup.  

The pricing for FortiGate IPS is competitive with other products in the category.  

On a scale from one to ten (where one is the worst and ten is the best), I would rate FortiGate IPS as a ten-out-of-ten. It is just that good.  

Fortinet FortiGate IPS is a firewall that can be deployed on-premise, as an appliance, or you can be deployed on the private cloud as a VM or public clouds such as Microsoft Azure or Amazon AWS. 

One use case is where traffic is coming in, and it is scanned because all traffic is untrusted, even within the network. You want to scan the traffic within your network. Most of the use-cases are internal networks and external networks.

The most useful features of Fortinet FortiGate IPS are you can create a virtual firewall within it, most other firewalls do not have this feature. You are able to manage your network and have network segmentation within your firewall. Additionally, you can create virtual switches within the firewall and have policy management, such as firewall and access policy.

Fortinet FortiGate IPS could improve the configuration. In some use cases, there can be some configuration conflicts.

I have been using Fortinet FortiGate IPS for approximately four years.

Fortinet FortiGate IPS is a highly stable solution.

I have found  Fortinet FortiGate IPS to be scalable.

The support from Fortinet FortiGate IPS is good.

I rate the support from Fortinet FortiGate IPS an eight out of ten.

The initial setup of Fortinet FortiGate IPS was not completely easy, it is in the medium range of difficulty.

I would rate the initial setup of Fortinet FortiGate IPS a seven out of ten.

The licensing policies need to be fixed because if our license expires for Fortinet FortiGate IPS then all the functionality and internet do not work. However, with other vendors when the license expires the internet continues to work but some functionality is limited. Once my license expired before I even knew it, I could not continue with my business functions. 

If you compare the price of Fortinet FortiGate IPS to other firewalls, Check Point is priced very high followed by Palo Alto and Sophos. Fortinet FortiGate IPS price is more reasonable.

I have evaluated other solutions, such as Check Point, Sophos, and Palo Alto.

I rate Fortinet FortiGate IPS a nine out of ten.