Mohamed Abdel Hassanein - PeerSpot reviewer
Managing Director at FORESEC
Reseller
Top 10
Very user friendly solution with cumbersome licensing structure
Pros and Cons
  • "The features that I have found most valuable are that it is good to use, and most importantly, the pricing. The customer especially likes the discount when they trade up or something like that."
  • "There are some license issues. Not every feature must have a separate license. There must be some of kind synergy between the license so we don't have to pay for every individual license that we would like to have."

What is our primary use case?

Our primary use case for Fortinet FortiGate is for the center firewalls. We use the VMware server. That seems good and acceptable to the customers.

What is most valuable?

The features that I have found most valuable are that it is good to use, and most importantly, the pricing. The customer especially likes the discount when they trade up or something like that.

What needs improvement?

In terms of the product, we don't have anything to improve. But I have a concern about the FortiGate team here in Egypt, because there is an opportunity that we are working on and when we opened it and did the deal installation, it was rejected. When I talked to the FortiGate team here in Egypt, they told me they know about the deal, but they rejected it.

Additionally, they could make some modifications in the license. There are some license issues. Not every feature must have a separate license. There must be some kind of synergy between the license so we don't have to pay for every individual license that we would like to have.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using Fortinet FortiGate for around one year now.

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Fortinet FortiGate
March 2024
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What do I think about the stability of the solution?

In m company there are around seven technical engineers required for deployment and maintenance.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

In terms of scalability, our biggest customer using it has 500 people.

How are customer service and support?

I haven't worked with the technical support. I did face some admin problem with the team here in Egypt.

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

We are a partner with Sophos, with Palo Alto, and with WatchGuard. So we have a lot of competitors for FortiGate.

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup of Fortinet FortiGate was easy. The most important thing is the management software with the license for accounts that need an additional license. But it is also acceptable.

The initial setup takes a while. It seems to take some time longer than usual due to the customer's onsite preparation of the required information. Overall it takes around five to seven working days.

What about the implementation team?

We are a partner, and a technical team qualified for implementing.

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

There is also an issue here. Maybe we get a massive discount on the product, but the renew cost is higher. In addition there are some admin issues. When I receive a request for a renew for a customer, the local team here only deals with the company that makes the primary deal, and refuses to give us a quotation. So we may lose the opportunity, or we may go with the vendor with their native product.

What other advice do I have?

I would recommend the product. I think it's good and they're doing well on the roadmap. But again, for the team they have to take better care of the local partner.

On a scale of one to ten, I would give Fortinet FortiGate a seven.

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
PeerSpot user
Product Manager at a comms service provider with 1,001-5,000 employees
Reseller
Flexible and easy to use, with good support, but they should introduce security at the packet level
Pros and Cons
  • "FortiGate is flexible and easy to use."
  • "Fortinet currently has many products bundled with FortiGate including the basic firewall and load balancer, and I think that that they need to have separate product portfolios for each of these specialized services."

What is our primary use case?

We use this product as a perimeter firewall and also in the role of a firewall as a service for our cloud.

What is most valuable?

FortiGate is flexible and easy to use.

What needs improvement?

Fortinet currently has many products bundled with FortiGate including the basic firewall and load balancer, and I think that that they need to have separate product portfolios for each of these specialized services. When it comes to large deployments, I don't think it's a good plan to have all of these services in a single box.

I think that they should introduce in-line security at the packet level, where they can do filtering and other firewall functions. It should not comes down to the infrastructure level but rather, offer services at the ISP level.

For how long have I used the solution?

We have been using FortiGate for the past four to five years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

This is a stable product.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

This product is scalable and as a service provider, we extend our usage to external customers. There are many users on the platform.

How are customer service and technical support?

We have premium support from Fortinet and it is quite good.

What about the implementation team?

We used their Professional Services for the initial installation.

We have a large in-house team for maintenance, although I am not sure how many are dedicated to this particular product.

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

The price of FortiGate is average and I would say that based on the top five products available on the market, it is in the affordable range.

What other advice do I have?

This is a product that I can recommend to others.

I would rate this solution a seven out of ten.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

Public Cloud
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: Partner
PeerSpot user
Buyer's Guide
Fortinet FortiGate
March 2024
Learn what your peers think about Fortinet FortiGate. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: March 2024.
765,234 professionals have used our research since 2012.
Technical Lead at a tech services company with 10,001+ employees
Real User
Stable with good technical support and very good UI
Pros and Cons
  • "The user interface (UI) is very, very good."
  • "The search tool needs improvement. It's very difficult to search for policies right now."

What is our primary use case?

We primarily use the solution for the firewall. We use it for a perimeter firewall or access firewall inside the network to allow some zones to be disabled from one zone to another zone. 

What is most valuable?

The stability of the solution is excellent.

The user interface (UI) is very, very good.

What needs improvement?

The search tool needs improvement. It's very difficult to search for policies right now.

When we need to engage with the endpoint or our customer during an investigation, there should be a way to investigate the issues without the need for the customer to be present. It would make it much easier.

For how long have I used the solution?

We've been using the product for the last few years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

We find the solution to be quite stable. It's very reliable. We don't have to worry about bugs or glitches on the system. It doesn't crash or freeze.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

We have more than 7.000 users on the solution right now.

We do plan to continue to use the solution going forward.

How are customer service and technical support?

The technical support is very good. We're quite satisfied with the level of support we receive. We find them to be knowledgeable and responsive when we have issues. 

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

Before using FortiGate, we used Cisco. However, we found the Cisco solutions to be unstable and we needed to move away from them. We do still have some legacy Cisco solutions, however. We find they work better now, with FortiGate.

How was the initial setup?

We didn't have a problem with the installation. It wasn't complex in any way. We found it to be quite straightforward.

The deployment process was very fast. It took less than a day for us to do everything we needed to do.

In terms of maintenance, we have eight people taking care of the troubleshooting of tickets.

What about the implementation team?

An integrator helped us with the implementation process they were very helpful and extremely knowledgable. We had them in case something we wrong, however, nothing has gone wrong so far.

What other advice do I have?

We're a service provider. We work with clients that use the solution.

We utilize both the 1500 and 3000 series of the product.

I would definitely recommend this solution to other companies to use. We've had a good experience overall.

In general, I would rate the 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
PeerSpot user
Senior solution architect at a comms service provider with 51-200 employees
Real User
Flexible to use and easy to set up
Pros and Cons
  • "It is very flexible to use."
  • "It is stable, but its stability can be improved."

What is our primary use case?

The typical next-generation firewall use case is to restrict access to the users by using a firewall.

What is most valuable?

It is very flexible to use.

What needs improvement?

It is stable, but its stability can be improved. 

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using this solution for maybe four or five years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

Its stability is just okay. It should be better.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

The scalability of the device is limited.

How are customer service and technical support?

Technical support is okay. They could be more knowledgeable and faster.

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

I was using Sophos. We switched because it was very unstable in terms of both software and hardware. I found a lot of vulnerabilities. Even though they provide a lot of features for a minimum cost, these features don't do what they are supposed to do.

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup was easy. The deployment duration depends on the situation. I have done the installation in one to three days.

What about the implementation team?

I installed it myself. You just need one technical guy to maintain and manage the firewall. It is a small product for 200 to 500 users.

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

It has a competitive price. 

What other advice do I have?

I would recommend this solution. We plan to continue using it. Even though it has a few stability issues, its price is competitive. 

I would rate Fortinet FortiGate an eight 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
PeerSpot user
President at simnet
Real User
Detailed analytics that integrates with SIEM products and has good support
Pros and Cons
  • "The most valuable feature of this solution is the analytics."
  • "Quality control on their firmware versions needs improvement. When they introduce new firmware, there tend to be bugs."

What is our primary use case?

Typically, we use Fortinet FortiGate with edge devices for businesses. 

We also use them to integrate with a SIEM product and we use it for detailed analytics.

What is most valuable?

The most valuable feature of this solution is the analytics.

What needs improvement?

Quality control on their firmware versions needs improvement. When they introduce new firmware, there tend to be bugs.

I would like the licensing price to be better. It would be nice if it were less than 25 percent of the hardware costs.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using this solution for fifteen years. We are an MSSP.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

The stability is good.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

With respect to scalability, it's good.

We have 15 people using this solution in our organization.

How are customer service and technical support?

We contact technical support almost daily. They have good support.

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup was not straightforward but not too complex. It's a bit of both.

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

For our organization, the licensing costs are approximately $7,000 per year.

Which other solutions did I evaluate?

Before choosing the Fortinet FortiGate, I evaluated other solutions.

What other advice do I have?

I would rate Fortinet FortiGate 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
PeerSpot user
Network Engineer at Concentus
Real User
An intuitive user interface for our SOHO edge protection solution
Pros and Cons
  • "This solution has solid UTM features combined with a nice GUI."
  • "The Web-filter in this solution is not very good."

What is our primary use case?

We use this solution for edge protection in SOHO and K-12 environments.

How has it helped my organization?

FortiOS has a very good, intuitive GUI.

What is most valuable?

This solution has solid UTM features combined with a nice GUI.

What needs improvement?

The Web-filter in this solution is not very good. Perhaps because Fortinet does not want to compete with its own dedicated solution.

For how long have I used the solution?

Three years.
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
Network Analyst at Aloo Telecom
Real User
A stable product that allows us to offer several services in a single box
Pros and Cons
  • "We have been able to offer several services to customers in a single box."
  • "I use the FortiGate 60D model and realized the 300Mbps bandwidth limitation. Because it is a product that offers many services, I think it could have greater bandwidth capacity."

What is our primary use case?

Our primary use case for this solution is the provision of services to our customers, the end users.

How has it helped my organization?

This solution has improved our organization a lot. We have been able to offer several services to customers in a single box.

What is most valuable?

The firewall is a valuable feature because it offers more security for end customers. The HA function is fantastic, as the link switching time is almost imperceptible. It also offers dedicated IP, all in one box.

What needs improvement?

I use the FortiGate 60D model and realized the 300Mbps bandwidth limitation. Because it is a product that offers many services, I think it could have greater bandwidth capacity.

For how long have I used the solution?

Trial/evaluations only.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

My impression of the stability is very good. It is very difficult to have to replace the equipment due to lack of resources.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

I found this product to be good for scalability. It offers several features, among them I can mention Application Control, Antispam, QoS and others.

How are customer service and technical support?

I found the technical support team to be careful and committed to delivering what we needed.

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

Prior to using the FortiGate solution, I used the MikroTik RB1100AHx2e. I found that the FortiGate 60D offered more security.

How was the initial setup?

The setup was straightforward and easy, and the equipment has a good command line interface.

What about the implementation team?

We were given all the support that we needed for implementation. The vendors were fantastic.

What was our ROI?

The return is inevitable when you have equipment that offers stability and quality in services.

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

Before choosing a piece of equipment you have to take into account the cost-benefit offered by each one. Sometimes it is not worth paying a very cheap price to have a minimum level of security.

Which other solutions did I evaluate?

Our evaluation of the MikroTik RB1100AHx2e revealed that it lacks antivirus software and has no lock for botnet control centers.

What other advice do I have?

There is a VOIP feature that by default is enabled on the Fortigate 60D. This greatly increases the CPU usage, which causes bad behavior in the equipment. This feature should be disabled and if necessary, the user can re-enable it.

The FortiGate 60D is a fantastic piece of equipment.

Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
it_user1000680 - PeerSpot reviewer
it_user1000680Finance And IT at Galfar Aspire Readymix LLC
Real User

Good performance.

See all 2 comments
PeerSpot user
IT System Administrator at emirates hospital
Real User
Enables us to control our internet usage with the web filter for application features
Pros and Cons
  • "The most important features with FortiGate are the web filter and application controls. We can control our internet usage and use the web filter for application purposes."
  • "Some features of Fortinet FortiGate are actually fee enabled that are inconvenient for deploying in production. Other issues relate to isolation with Cisco products and your server."

What is our primary use case?

We use Fortinet FortiGate mainly for web filtering and site-to-site VPN connectivity. We establish filters based on the type of application for filtering purposes.

How has it helped my organization?

With Fortinet FortiGate I can do over forty enlaces. We give all of the log-based runtime support to every user and the web traffic coming in. Also, we can enlace all of the security projects from our two servers with the other forty enlaces.

What is most valuable?

The most important features with FortiGate are the web filter and application controls. We can control our internet usage and use the web filter for application purposes. All branch FortiGate devices are integrated with FortiAnalyzer and easy to download and monitor the logs from all other locations. It's easy to change the configurations using CMD-SSH. FSSO is also another good feature. 

What needs improvement?

It is mainly our own application of FortiGate that we need to improve. If you compare FortiGate to any other products, all of the other products have more signatures. I couldn't find that many signatures available in the application.

Some features of Fortinet FortiGate are actually fee enabled that are inconvenient for deploying in production. Other issues relate to isolation with Cisco products and your server.

Fortinet should make it so that we are not able to use analytics from Cisco at the same time that FortiGate is installed. We are not able to do real-time network monitoring.

For the next release, FortiGate should be improved to support these issues. For the setup, you need to prepare a lot for that before engaging the deployment. 

I learned a lot about FortiGate from books. That should be important in preparation. Fortinet should implement these changes, then we would be able to do more.

For how long have I used the solution?

Less than one year.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

Stability is good. The only issue is that in the VPN, I have seen many times that there is no stability in the VPN configuration and VPN connectivity. That is our only issue.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

If we implement Fortinet to Fortinet connections, then the solution works fine and there are no issues. If we connect with any other vendor like Cisco, Palo Alto, or these kinds of devices, I can see sometimes that the connectivity issue is there.

From IIS, the I/O packet works and connectivity is ideal. Connectivity is fine, but the title clock unnecessarily comes in and sometimes it doesn't reach the destination.

We use Fortinet FortiGate in twenty to twenty-five locations at the time, although we are basically focused on healthcare industry requirements.

For the deployment and maintenance, we have two people we are using right now. Regarding maintenance and deployment, we employ experts in network and security support. 

We don't have any plans to increase usage of Fortinet FortiGate. We only use it in 25 locations.

How are customer service and technical support?

We have evaluated Fortinet FortiGate's technical support and it is good.

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup is straightforward. The normal VLAN interface configuration with the LAN configuration is fine. There is no problem with that. 

Our deployment took a maximum of half an hour to forty-five minutes. It only took this much time for the entire configuration including the LAN and policy configuration.

What about the implementation team?

We did not use an integrator or consultant. Our security engineers completed the configuration.

What other advice do I have?

In terms of rating, Fortinet FortiGate will come in with an eight out of ten. We are satisfied with the product overall. 

Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
Buyer's Guide
Download our free Fortinet FortiGate Report and get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions.
Updated: March 2024
Buyer's Guide
Download our free Fortinet FortiGate Report and get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions.