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reviewer2516481 - PeerSpot reviewer
Technical Engineer - Technical Security at a tech services company with 1,001-5,000 employees
Real User
Top 5
Maximize security with zero licensing fees for VPN and SD-WAN
Pros and Cons
  • "Fortinet FortiGate is a very stable solution."

    What is our primary use case?

    My typical use case for Fortinet FortiGate involves it being one of the best solutions for next-generation firewall. In terms of simplified control and in-built SD-WAN solution, there are no licenses for VPN. From a commercial perspective, it is beneficial. Technically, it has successfully stopped attacks, which is the reason the customer was using Fortinet FortiGate.

    What is most valuable?

    The dynamic segmentation feature in Fortinet FortiGate has an in-built switch and wireless access point controller. Fortinet FortiGate has a feature called VDOMs, virtual domains, where you can create multiple virtual firewalls within a single hardware, which is one of the fantastic features.

    In terms of effectiveness, Fortinet Unified SASE covers all three use cases: Secure Internet Access, Secure Private Access, and Secure SaaS access. For any security implementation, networking is essential, and Fortinet FortiGate provisions that through FortiGate's SD-WAN. The integration with FortiSASE and Fortinet Forti-SD-WAN is very simple and straightforward.

    What needs improvement?

    In terms of improvement for Fortinet FortiGate, I don't find any needed improvements regarding hardware because it is very good. The operating system has most of the features. 

    At this moment, I'm not finding any other improvements in this case. They are advanced in this segment. Fortinet FortiGate has in-built automation features and cyber risk assessment.

    One suggestion might be to increase the storage size in the hardware for local reporting.

    For how long have I used the solution?

    I have nine years of experience working with Fortinet FortiGate.

    Buyer's Guide
    Fortinet FortiGate
    September 2025
    Learn what your peers think about Fortinet FortiGate. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: September 2025.
    867,341 professionals have used our research since 2012.

    What do I think about the stability of the solution?

    Fortinet FortiGate is a very stable solution.

    What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

    In terms of scalability, Fortinet FortiGate provides more throughput compared to other OEMs, so the value for money is very high. If it is a VM, it can be scalable. In terms of hardware, it's all about scalability, throughput, and managing the number of sessions based on the hardware sizing. If the team sizing the firewall does it properly, then the solution is easily scalable.

    How are customer service and support?

    I would evaluate customer support from Fortinet FortiGate as seven or eight out of ten. The reason I do not give 10 out of 10 for customer support is that while they follow the SLA and there is no issue with that, for them it might be P3, but for us, it might be P1 or P2 case. Remote assistance requirement should support them.

    How would you rate customer service and support?

    What was our ROI?

    After implementing Fortinet solutions, I evaluate the return on investment as providing more throughput performance. The performance is very high in terms of packet inspection and handling the traffic. It is one of the best solutions in that case. The total cost of ownership will be low because there is no extra additional license for SD-WAN, VPN, or the VDOM feature. Considering all those things, it is a very cost-effective solution.

    What other advice do I have?

    My advice to others looking into Fortinet FortiGate is that they can consider the return on investment or total cost of ownership. Fortinet FortiGate is definitely a good solution, not less than a better solution. It's very good compared to Palo Alto or Check Point. Those using the Fortinet FortiGate firewall should start using the features part of the solution, either it can be a WAF solution or a security rating or automation features. They can directly integrate with the cloud firewall. Operation technology is doing very well because there are many features where the network and security administrators should start enabling and making use of it. On a scale of one to ten, I would rate this solution nine or ten.

    Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

    On-premises

    If public cloud, private cloud, or hybrid cloud, which cloud provider do you use?

    Other
    Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer. Partner
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    reviewer2721387 - PeerSpot reviewer
    Managing Director at a non-tech company with 11-50 employees
    Reseller
    Experience facilitates easy configuration while needing improvements in smaller models
    Pros and Cons
      • "One issue is that they have retired SSL VPN for existing devices. This causes significant effort for us to change customer setups."

      What is our primary use case?

      A typical use case for this solution is that we have small to medium-based customers, and we need a central firewall, which should provide firewall and next-generation features, VPN for home office, and for mobility users, mobile users, and this is what we all use with the Fortinet FortiGate firewall.

      What is most valuable?

      Fortinet FortiGate has positively impacted my client's organization because we have know-how of FortiGate; we could debug problems, we could set up our settings as planned, and I appreciate the easy way of configuration, that we can use parallel GUI and CLI, or CLI and web interface, which we can use in parallel. It is a product that we can use very easily.

      What needs improvement?

      Fortinet FortiGate can be improved because we have some smaller customers, and with the SMB or small customer solutions with the two letters, 50, 70, 90, they sometimes cause problems. They could improve the smaller devices. One issue is that they have retired SSL VPN for existing devices. This causes significant effort for us to change customer setups. Additionally, they changed features when we only make a patch update and not only a major update. This is really a problem.

      For how long have I used the solution?

      I have experience working with Fortinet FortiGate for 20 years, and I wanted to see if we have the right product because we have some problems currently with Fortinet.

      What do I think about the stability of the solution?

      I find Fortinet FortiGate to be a stable solution.

      What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

      It is definitely a scalable solution.

      How are customer service and support?

      I rate technical support seven out of ten because we made a migration from a FortiGate 200 on another customer side, and we wanted to switch a FortiToken from one model to another one, which was only possible with support. It worked, but we needed about 10 different calls; it was really complicated. Support helped, but people changed every time. Every call, we had a call number, and in each call, people changed, so we had to explain again what we wanted to do. For a similar process, we had to make two different calls, one for mobile token, one for hardware token. This was really challenging. Support is working and good, but it's not perfect.

      How would you rate customer service and support?

      Positive

      Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

      We've used Sophos firewalls, but we don't use them anymore because they cause too many problems for us.

      How was the initial setup?

      The initial setup of Fortinet FortiGate is straightforward.

      What was our ROI?

      I haven't seen an ROI with Fortinet FortiGate.

      What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

      My experience with pricing, setup costs, and licensing of Fortinet FortiGate is okay. We won a deal in comparison to Check Point where FortiGate was much cheaper. Compared to Sophos, the base models seem to be cheaper with Sophos, but the services seem to be cheaper with FortiGate.

      Which other solutions did I evaluate?

      I remember doing research on peerspot.com about IT solutions. I wanted to investigate differences between firewall competitors or firewall vendors and Google led me to their site. I have checked a few reports, and they have not been very useful for us. For comparing different vendors, I was also led to their site. They have different types of reports, including user voices and Palo Alto Networks review tips and advice from real users in an 80-page long report. They have market shares and rankings and customer voices, but the customer voices point to a single feature, so I don't get an overall picture of the comparison.

      What other advice do I have?

      My relationship with Fortinet is that we are a reseller. We have made some tests with SD-WAN but have not introduced this product into production. We use Fortinet FortiGate firewalls and some next-generation fire features proxy, but we don't use SASE. We utilize NPS services, FortiGuard services, antivirus, and malware protection. My clients are typically small to medium businesses, with customers from about 20 to 500 people. I would rate Fortinet FortiGate overall as a seven based on my experience in the last year. Before it would be an eight, but now it's seven because of the problems with the SSL VPN. Additionally, we bought some 50G models that still have a 7.0 firmware, which is really old, and this is not good.

      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
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      Buyer's Guide
      Fortinet FortiGate
      September 2025
      Learn what your peers think about Fortinet FortiGate. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: September 2025.
      867,341 professionals have used our research since 2012.
      Emmanuel Dasho - PeerSpot reviewer
      Cyber Security Engineer | Network/Security at a tech services company with 11-50 employees
      Real User
      Top 5
      Enables seamless SD-WAN deployment and offers robust security features

      What is our primary use case?

      Majorly, I use Fortinet FortiGate for establishing SD-WAN in different remote locations. I also use it for segmenting wireless from LAN and implementing basic policy routing for departments. The next-gen features on Fortinet FortiGate permit proxy access, where URLs can be specified for specific users or departments to access.

      What is most valuable?

      Fortinet FortiGate has several valuable features. The configuration and policy setup are easy to implement. There are embedded features in Fortinet FortiGate, including DLP features, WAF presence in the firewall, and proxy capabilities. It has security profiles that can be set for various functions. In terms of security, it is particularly strong.

      SD-WAN offers better reach, good reachability, and enhanced performance for network optimization. People implement SD-WAN today because of reachability and network optimization capabilities.

      Fortinet FortiGate is effective in protecting against malicious access. It has a robust security architecture, which is something I truly like about FortiGate.

      The SD-WAN integration is very simple. I appreciate the simplicity of the FortiGate system. It's one of the things I like most about it. With FortiAI, it's very easy to input your queries, and the system helps you set it up. If you prefer to do it manually, there is excellent documentation and step-by-step guides available to assist you. For me, the experience has been seamless and straightforward.

      What needs improvement?

      I cannot think of many improvements needed for Fortinet FortiGate. However, the pricing compared to competitors is quite high, though you get value for what you pay with Fortinet FortiGate.

      With FortiSIEM, I have experienced some challenges. It has been suspended and is not available for utilization now. They should work on improving FortiSIEM.

      For how long have I used the solution?

      I have worked with both virtual appliances and physical devices, primarily with hardware devices, for over five years. The models I have used include 60, 100, and 201 series.

      What do I think about the stability of the solution?

      Fortinet FortiGate is one of the best firewalls available. There are no crashes or performance issues. It is very stable and reliable.

      What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

      The solution is scalable.

      Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

      I have worked with Sophos and Check Point firewalls. Fortinet FortiGate leads compared to other solutions. Based on customer requests, we provide different options. I recommend people should consider Fortinet or Sophos, depending on their needs. Fortinet FortiGate performs well against other firewalls in the market.

      How was the initial setup?

      The hardware is easy to set up. I have only had issues with the activation of the evaluation license. 

      What was our ROI?

      There has definitely been a return on investment with Fortinet FortiGate.

      What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

      The pricing depends on the capacity required. There are 100 series, 200 series, and 500 series options. The prices are moderate and reasonable for each series.

      What other advice do I have?

      For organizations using Fortinet FortiGate, it is important to utilize the security profiles properly. Make sure anti-spoofing is set up and networks are well-segmented on the Fortinet. Ensure proxy configuration is based on URL access stability.

      I would rate this 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. Partner
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      Team Lead at Adapt Information Technologies (Pvt) Ltd
      Real User
      Top 20
      Straightforward implementation and good performance
      Pros and Cons
      • "Fortinet FortiGate is quite popular in my region, so we are implementing Fortinet FortiGate firewalls. Fortinet FortiGate is the best option on the market when it comes to firewalls. It's straightforward to deploy and has good stability and performance."
      • "Fortinet FortiGate is the best option on the market when it comes to firewalls."
      • "In an incident, after a restart, Fortinet FortiGate did not connect to FortiGuard servers. Due to that reason, on the customer end, all websites got blocked. I don't know why this happened. The firewall of a bank in Sri Lanka rebooted yesterday, and after that, FortiGuard servers did not connect properly, blocking all customer environment websites."
      • "In an incident, after a restart, Fortinet FortiGate did not connect to FortiGuard servers. Due to that reason, on the customer end, all websites got blocked."

      What is our primary use case?

      I am a network engineer implementing Fortinet FortiGate firewalls. We have implemented this firewall for various government departments, small organizations, and hotels.

      What is most valuable?

      Fortinet FortiGate is quite popular in my region, so we are implementing Fortinet FortiGate firewalls. Fortinet FortiGate is the best option on the market when it comes to firewalls. It's straightforward to deploy and has good stability and performance.

      What needs improvement?

      In an incident, after a restart, Fortinet FortiGate did not connect to FortiGuard servers. Due to that reason, on the customer end, all websites got blocked. I don't know why this happened. The firewall of a bank in Sri Lanka rebooted yesterday, and after that, FortiGuard servers did not connect properly, blocking all customer environment websites.

      For how long have I used the solution?

      I have been working with Fortinet FortiGate for around three years.

      What do I think about the stability of the solution?

      I have not faced any other issues with Fortinet FortiGate. The performance for Fortinet FortiGate is good.

      What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

      The scalability of Fortinet FortiGate is good.

      How are customer service and support?

      We are able to resolve most issues on our own. We raise a case through a partner portal. If the local distributor cannot resolve it, it's routed to another country. The response time for their technical support is not always good. It also depends on the license that the customer has.

      How would you rate customer service and support?

      Positive

      Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

      We are partners with both Sophos and SonicWall. I have implemented Sophos firewall myself, but not SonicWall. Our other engineers handle SonicWall implementations. I implemented Sophos SG and recently migrated from SG to SGS, all the firewalls.

      How was the initial setup?

      The implementation process for Fortinet FortiGate is straightforward. We don't get much error with FortiGate because it's straightforward. We can implement it easily. Sometimes, when we implement through the portal, there are some errors, but we can manage it.

      I have implemented 900D firewall and 400D firewall clusters, and many Fortinet FortiGate firewalls. I have also implemented FortiADC once, following step-by-step guides.

      What about the implementation team?

      We are a partner of Fortinet.

      What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

      Some of our customers are using Sophos and SonicWall due to price concerns, as they can't manage the pricing of Fortinet FortiGate.

      What other advice do I have?

      I mostly recommend Fortinet FortiGate when it fits the customer's budget. I would rate Fortinet FortiGate an eight out of ten.

      Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer. Partner
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      Operations Manager at astron computers limited
      Reseller
      Effective threat prevention speeds up response but maintenance can be challenging
      Pros and Cons
      • "Fortinet FortiGate brings numerous benefits to my company."

        What is our primary use case?

        My customers use Fortinet FortiGate for various purposes. The security services provided by Fortinet FortiGate are quite strong. 

        I have had use cases where FortiGate helped to protect the mission-critical data for my customers. 

        FortiGate is effective at protecting the data at the edge.

        What is most valuable?

        What I appreciate about Fortinet FortiGate is its effectiveness. The feature that I find the most effective is threat prevention. 

        The mean time to respond and the remediation process is sped up. FortiGate has also helped to consolidate tools and applications for my customers.

        The firewall has indeed helped customers to consolidate tools and applications. Once everything is set and done, maintaining FortiGate can have its challenges.

        Fortinet FortiGate brings numerous benefits to my company.

        What needs improvement?

        The good things aside, there are improvements needed in the Fortinet FortiGate. My customers requested specific features to be included in the Fortinet FortiGate.

        For how long have I used the solution?

        My experience with the Fortinet FortiGate is recent, as I worked with it less than a year ago.

        What do I think about the stability of the solution?

        My impression of the stability of FortiGate is that it is quite stable.

        What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

        When it comes to scalability, I find it scalable.

        How are customer service and support?

        I have escalated questions to Fortinet's tech support.

        How would you rate customer service and support?

        Positive

        Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

        We need to compare different firewalls, including Fortinet FortiGate and Hillstone, and then suggest the better one to our clients.

        How was the initial setup?

        The initial implementation part is straightforward, but it has some complexities. My implementation strategy involves several steps that I take when deploying it.

        What about the implementation team?

        I do have hands-on experience working with the products, and I do the POCs and implementation part.

        What was our ROI?

        When it comes to the ROI, the return on investment of FortiGate can be a bit hard to estimate, but based on my experience, I find it to be quite favorable. Overall, Fortinet FortiGate has indeed helped to reduce the total cost of ownership for my customers.

        What other advice do I have?

        My impression of the firewall's ability to provide network and security coverage is positive. 

        When it comes to sustainability, my impressions of the firewall are favorable.

        The size of the environment with Fortinet FortiGate was significant, including many endpoints and users, and it involved enterprise-level business.

        Based on my experience, I would say to someone considering purchasing Fortinet FortiGate's data center firewall is that it's a good choice. I would give Fortinet a solid score.

        Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer. Reseller
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        reviewer2123850 - PeerSpot reviewer
        CIO at a legal firm with 11-50 employees
        Real User
        Top 20
        Integrated tools enhance network control and security management
        Pros and Cons
        • "It is complemented by other equipment, such as the Fortinet switch, and it is integrated with other tools that help to prevent cyberattacks, including a web filter, IPS, and application control."
        • "Overall, I would rate Fortinet FortiGate a ten out of ten."
        • "The user interface of the Fortinet FortiGate management console could be more intuitive and user-friendly, and the log analysis and reporting features could be enhanced to provide more flexibility and customizable insights."
        • "The user interface of the Fortinet FortiGate management console could be more intuitive and user-friendly, and the log analysis and reporting features could be enhanced to provide more flexibility and customizable insights."

        What is our primary use case?

        We are using Fortinet FortiGate to block or deny malware and to administrate the network to control the traffic inside and outside.

        How has it helped my organization?

        It has significantly contributed to the effective control and monitoring of the network infrastructure. We could see its benefits immediately after the implementation.

        What is most valuable?

        It is complemented by other equipment, such as the Fortinet switch, and it is integrated with other tools that help to prevent cyberattacks, including a web filter, IPS, and application control. 

        What needs improvement?

        The user interface of the Fortinet FortiGate management console could be more intuitive and user-friendly, and the log analysis and reporting features could be enhanced to provide more flexibility and customizable insights.

        For how long have I used the solution?

        I have had experience with Fortinet FortiGate for one year so far.

        What do I think about the stability of the solution?

        Fortinet FortiGate is very stable. I would rate its stability a ten out of ten.

        What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

        It is scalable. I would rate the scalability of Fortinet FortiGate a ten out of ten.

        We are a medium-sized organization.

        How are customer service and support?

        I would rate Fortinet's customer service as very good. They are good because they provide solutions to problems that we encounter and help us make new changes or meet requirements, and they have the ability to work with us to make the changes that we want.

        How would you rate customer service and support?

        Positive

        Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

        We previously used Sophos for web filtering. We now use Fortinet FortiGate for web filtering as well. We switched from Sophos to Fortinet FortiGate because we chose to adopt a Fortinet ecosystem to achieve better centralized control. We wanted to streamline security management while integrating firewalls, switches, endpoint protections, and wireless. 

        We used Sophos only for web filtering control applications, but when we switched to Fortinet FortiGate, we achieved better integration with other devices in the security management.

        How was the initial setup?

        I was involved with the initial setup and deployment of Fortinet FortiGate. It was of medium complexity. It was easy because the tools we were integrating were well-documented, but somewhat difficult due to the learning curve and the need to adapt our legacy system to the new environment.

        What about the implementation team?

        It took four technical people to deploy Fortinet FortiGate. 

        Only two people maintain it; for implementation, we used four people, but to maintain it, it is just two. 

        It doesn't require a lot of maintenance. The job roles of those who maintain it include making changes, adjusting web filter configurations, and switching ports. The people who maintain it are network administrators.

        What other advice do I have?

        I would advise people considering using Fortinet FortiGate to carefully plan the network structure and train the team; Fortinet is powerful, but its full potential comes with understanding the platform. I would recommend starting small, documenting everything, and using its centralized tools to stay secure and efficient.

        Overall, I would rate Fortinet FortiGate a ten out of ten.

        Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

        On-premises
        Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
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        reviewer2667480 - PeerSpot reviewer
        Cewa Solutions Architect at a tech services company with 11-50 employees
        Real User
        Top 20
        A cost-effective solution with excellent security and easy policy configuration
        Pros and Cons
        • "I find the ease of configuring specific policies to be the most valuable feature of the Fortinet FortiGate firewall."
        • "Fortinet FortiGate is good for helping you secure and protect mission-critical data."
        • "The solution could be improved by addressing limited local reporting. It requires obtaining the FortiAnalyzer for proper visibility because you can't do much from a reporting perspective with just the firewall alone."
        • "The solution could be improved by addressing limited local reporting. It requires obtaining the FortiAnalyzer for proper visibility because you can't do much from a reporting perspective with just the firewall alone."

        How has it helped my organization?

        I see several benefits of using Fortinet FortiGate. When it comes to deploying the solution, it is easy. It allows customers to quickly get up to speed with their day-to-day tasks, minimizing mundane requests. Additionally, the support regarding upgrades and hardware failures has been above par.

        Fortinet FortiGate helps to remediate threats more quickly. 

        Fortinet FortiGate helps to reduce the mean time to respond when it is properly integrated with proper tools. For example, with email and other automation capabilities, it has reduced to under an hour for me. 

        Fortinet FortiGate helps to consolidate tools and applications by offering web control, email protection, routing, firewalling, and extending to switching and wireless on the same management platform.

        Fortinet FortiGate is good for helping you secure and protect mission-critical data. It is also good for protecting your edge.

        When it comes to security, Fortinet is excellent in terms of how updates are done when there is an incident globally or there's a new variant of any IOCs. It is quite up-to-date.

        What is most valuable?

        I find application control, logging and reporting, and ease of use valuable. I find the ease of configuring specific policies to be the most valuable feature of the Fortinet FortiGate firewall.

        What needs improvement?

        The solution could be improved by addressing limited local reporting. It requires obtaining the FortiAnalyzer for proper visibility because you can't do much from a reporting perspective with just the firewall alone.

        In terms of convergence, it is a good solution, but it can be better. FortiGate has the capability to support their switching and wireless platforms. They are quite excellent on their wireless side, but I found a couple of gaps in terms of how FortiGate integrates with their own switching platform. There are some gaps there.

        For how long have I used the solution?

        My experience of working with Fortinet FortiGate is approximately 10 years.

        What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

        It caters to all with different units, such as from five users to a model that supports telcos or huge enterprises. Depending on the size of your organization, you end up getting the correct fit of the model, and they have the same capabilities. The variation comes in terms of the interfaces and throughputs, but from a security perspective, you get the same benefit, irrespective of whether you have an entry-level unit or an enterprise.

        How are customer service and support?

        Their support is quite effective. I would rate technical support from Fortinet a nine out of ten.

        How would you rate customer service and support?

        Positive

        How was the initial setup?

        I've had a chance to do a couple of deployments on the cloud. I've done deployments on private and public clouds. I've deployed it on-prem as an edge firewall or as a data center firewall. 

        In terms of maintenance, like all firewalls, there is an aspect of upgrading based on new features and getting the latest updates from the signatures and IPS uploads that come along with it. That happens effectively in an automated way. Software upgrades are catered to during the support window.

        What was our ROI?

        The FortiGate firewall has helped to reduce the total cost of ownership.

        It provides value for money and is quite competitive compared to other vendors, allowing you to achieve the proper ROI from investments.

        What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

        The pricing or licensing of Fortinet FortiGate is quite effective as it offers different bundles that aggregate most required features, while also allowing clients the option to select specific components alone.

        Which other solutions did I evaluate?

        The typical use case for Fortinet FortiGate as a firewall is because of the commercial aspects. It is competitive from a pricing perspective. There is ease of use compared to other vendors and effective vendor support for any issues.

        What other advice do I have?

        Anyone considering purchasing FortiGate's data center firewall should go for it because data centers require stability and proper performance, which the platform provides. I would recommend getting the latest unit for a longer shelf life as clients often buy nearly end-of-sale products, limiting their usability.

        Overall, I would rate this solution a nine out of ten.

        Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer. Implementer
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        Viraj Fernandopulle - PeerSpot reviewer
        General Manager Group IT at DART GLOBAL LOGISTICS PTE. LTD.
        Real User
        Top 10
        Includes built-in APIs, is easy to deploy, and provides good insight into our network
        Pros and Cons
        • "The most valuable feature of FortiGate is FortiView which provides proactive monitoring."
        • "Due to its higher cost, Fortinet FortiGate can lead to increased operational expenses."

        What is our primary use case?

        For IPS, IDS, traffic management, SDWAN, high availability, we leverage Fortinet FortiGate as a virtual appliance to secure our data center, internal office infrastructure, and site-to-site VPNS Site to client VPNS for our internal lab controls, rather than using physical Fortinet FortiGate hardware.

        We implemented Fortinet FortiGate as part of our compliance requirements to address the high volume of intrusion attempts we were experiencing. This solution provides us with a insight on Intrusion to block these attacks and gain insights into who is trying to access our network. Essentially, we aim to understand the nature of incoming and outgoing network traffic.

        How has it helped my organization?

        FortiGate offers visibility into the types, brands, versions, and users of connected devices. This visibility is crucial for our industrial devices, as their reliable operation is essential to our business.

        Fortinet Security Fabric empowers us to comply with regulations, governance, and compliance requirements across regions like the US and Europe, ensuring smooth operations for our global business.

        FortiGate's built-in APIs enable us to integrate with the vendors of our choice.

        Fortinet's FortiGate is easy to deploy in our environment thanks to its well-written and easy-to-follow documentation.

        FortiGate is a highly benchmarked product that improves efficiency and adds value to our organization.

        Although we don't see a benefit overnight, we gradually see the benefits of FortiGate over the years. It has provided a lot of insight into our organization's activities.

        FortiGate significantly helped reduce the risk of cyberattacks that could disrupt our production. This has protected us against financial losses.

        Fortinet has its management suite so it helps to centralize the management of network and security operations in our company. This helps us easily manage the issues and solutions that are required.

        Fortinet FortiGate provides us with actionable data to inform our decisions about the most appropriate course of action. It delivers insights into resource consumption and compromised hosts, helping us identify the source of unauthorized login attempts. This comprehensive view allows us to understand what's entering our network.

        Fortinet Security Fabric improved security across our industrial control systems.

        Fortinet FortiGate helped reduce our mean time to remediate.

        Fortinet FortiGate helped to mature our approach to cybersecurity for protecting our industrial equipment. The level of detail we can see regarding incoming traffic and ongoing activities is quite high. This detailed visibility extends to host configuration and other such aspects, providing us with valuable insights. As a result, Fortinet can provide a clear understanding of how to manage our network and quickly mitigate any issues that may arise.

        What is most valuable?

        The most valuable feature of FortiGate is FortiView which provides proactive monitoring. 

        What needs improvement?

        Ideally, I'd like to see most CLI configuration options exposed in the GUI to avoid manual command typing. However, there should be a more user-friendly approach than simply replicating everything in the GUI. Alternatively, some users might prefer scheduling tasks through commands for automation.

        For how long have I used the solution?

        I have been using Fortinet FortiGate for over 12 years.

        What do I think about the stability of the solution?

        I would rate the stability of Fortinet FortiGate ten out of ten. As long as we configure FortiGate properly.

        How are customer service and support?

        The technical support has improved over the years.

        How would you rate customer service and support?

        Positive

        Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

        We previously used an open-source firewall, but we were looking for a solution that was more proactive, easier to manage, and continuously improved. FortiGate was a major competitor at the time and has since become one of the market leaders.

        How was the initial setup?

        Initially, there was a learning curve during the deployment. We did have the help of local vendors.

        If our policies are already in place, we can have the solution up and running in less than a day using a script. However, if we need to determine our policies while implementing the solution, it can take over a month to complete.

        What was our ROI?

        Fortinet FortiGate mitigates an excessive amount of manpower requirements because it is easy to manage and this helps contribute to a return on investment.

        What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

        The price varies yearly and there could be additional costs to help manage the infrastructure. 

        In certain markets, if an organization subscribes to their internet service they get a Fortinet firewall included in the cost.

        Which other solutions did I evaluate?

        We evaluated some of the leading brands. At the time we found FortiGate easier to administrate and handle. The interface was intuitive and the solution was affordable.

        What other advice do I have?

        I would rate Fortinet FortiGate nine out of ten.

        Fortinet FortiGate is one of the most user-friendly security appliances I've encountered. It has a gentle learning curve, and even beginners can configure it effectively. However, for a successful deployment, it's crucial to have a well-defined network layout, documented initial requirements, and a clear configuration strategy. While physical documentation isn't mandatory, a well-organized approach is essential. This includes using clear and consistent naming conventions for commands and rules, along with detailed descriptions within the configuration itself. This makes it easy for anyone to understand the overall logic and navigate the configuration from start to finish. It's important to note that my approach to policy management might involve unique syntax. This includes how I structure policy sets and identify which ones consume the most resources. Understanding how policies interact with other aspects, like implementation and rule execution, is also crucial. Ultimately, a well-defined naming standard is the foundation for a clear and maintainable configuration.

        Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

        On-premises
        Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
        PeerSpot user
        Buyer's Guide
        Download our free Fortinet FortiGate Report and get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions.
        Updated: September 2025
        Buyer's Guide
        Download our free Fortinet FortiGate Report and get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions.