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reviewer1285998 - PeerSpot reviewer
Product Manager at a comms service provider with 1,001-5,000 employees
Real User
Affordable, reliable, and scalable
Pros and Cons
  • "I'm pretty happy with its reliability. It is also very scalable."
  • "They have to just improve its performance when we enable all UTM features. When you enable all the features, the performance of FortiGate, as well as of Sophos and SonicWall, goes down."

What is our primary use case?

In my previous company, which was a silver partner, we installed 300 and 301 for a few use cases. The most selling product at that time was FortiGate 100E.

What is most valuable?

I'm pretty happy with its reliability. It is also very scalable.

What needs improvement?

They have to just improve its performance when we enable all UTM features. When you enable all the features, the performance of FortiGate, as well as of Sophos and SonicWall, goes down.

For how long have I used the solution?

I worked with this solution for four years in my previous company.

Buyer's Guide
Fortinet FortiGate
June 2025
Learn what your peers think about Fortinet FortiGate. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: June 2025.
860,592 professionals have used our research since 2012.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

It is very stable. When you compare it with Palo Alto, it is stable.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

It is very scalable.

How are customer service and support?

They are very knowledgeable and helpful.

How was the initial setup?

Based on what my engineers told me, it is easy to install. It is straightforward.

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

It is affordable. Palo Alto is much more expensive than Fortinet.

What other advice do I have?

I would rate it a nine out of 10.

Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
PeerSpot user
reviewer1784364 - PeerSpot reviewer
Founder / Principal at a tech services company with 1-10 employees
Real User
The hardware is reliable, and it provides best performance per dollar spent and ease of licensing and management
Pros and Cons
  • "It increases security posture and is helpful for firewall reporting, intrusion protection, web filtering, and SD-WAN implementation."
  • "The cloud management and automation capability could be improved."

What is our primary use case?

We're a Fortinet partner and reseller. We work with FortiGate models 40 through 600, and our customers have hybrid and on-prem deployments. The cloud providers are Microsoft Azure and Wasabi.

Its use cases are related to increasing the security posture, SD-WAN implementation, simplified management and licensing, and cost savings.

What is most valuable?

It increases security posture and is helpful for firewall reporting, intrusion protection, web filtering, and SD-WAN implementation.

The hardware is reliable. There are no surprises in terms of performance or add-on pricing.

What needs improvement?

The cloud management and automation capability could be improved.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been working with this solution for six years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

Its stability is excellent.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

Its scalability is very good. There are 100 to 3,000 users, and they are knowledge workers with different roles, such as engineers, lawyers, accountants, etc.

How are customer service and support?

Their technical support is very good. I would rate them a four out of five.

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

Most of the customers replaced Cisco.

How was the initial setup?

It is straightforward for someone with Fortinet experience. If you don't know anything about Fortinet, you can take it out of the box and plug it in.

Its deployment is usually on a location-by-location basis. Each location often takes one day for the implementation of a new data service. One person is usually enough for its deployment and maintenance.

What was our ROI?

I don't know the numbers, but it typically results in a 20% to 30% reduction in data communications costs.

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

Fortinet costs are 25% lower than the high-cost provider. There is an equipment cost and a recurring monthly cost for licenses and technical support.

Which other solutions did I evaluate?

Most of the customers look at Cisco, Cisco Meraki, Palo Alto, and Fortinet. They go with Fortinet because of the best performance per dollar spent and ease of licensing and management.

What other advice do I have?

I would advise sizing the equipment appropriately to support future growth. You should look for a four to six-year life of a server. You should compare vendors for price versus performance, ease of management, ease of use, and completeness of features.

I would rate it a nine out of 10. We've had a good experience with it. There were no surprises.

Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer. Partner.
PeerSpot user
Buyer's Guide
Fortinet FortiGate
June 2025
Learn what your peers think about Fortinet FortiGate. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: June 2025.
860,592 professionals have used our research since 2012.
Rehan Rauf - PeerSpot reviewer
Network Engineer at Nayatel Pvt. Ltd
Real User
Great URL filtering with a next-generation firewall that can do internet routing
Pros and Cons
  • "Offers good security and filtering."
  • "Lacks training for new features."

What is our primary use case?

We use this solution for mid to large enterprise companies with around 500,000 users. We are resellers of this solution based in Pakistan and we have a partnership with Fortinet. 

What is most valuable?

I like the security that Fortigate offers; it has great URL filtering with a next-generation firewall that can do internet routing, plus give us advanced layer seven application control. It offers good features. 

What needs improvement?

I'd like to see training provided for new features and upgrades, it's not currently available. They really need to work on their support. There's a huge market for enterprise business right now and Pakistan is focusing on network security. Fortinet lacks local premium support.

For how long have I used the solution?

We've been using this solution for six months. 

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

This is a good, stable solution. 

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

The solution is scalable for enterprise companies. 

How was the initial setup?

We have two or three local engineers that help us with deployment. 

What other advice do I have?

My one piece of advice would be to spend time planning, rather than just purchasing a product and proceeding to deployment. It's important to research the features, read their community postings regarding bugs because it's something that might hit them in the future. 

I rate this solution eight out of 10. 

Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
PeerSpot user
Hamada Elewa - PeerSpot reviewer
System Engineer - Security Presales at Raya Integration
Reseller
Top 5
Reliable, good support, and scalable
Pros and Cons
  • "I have found Fortinet FortiGate to be scalable."
  • "Fortinet FortiGate needs to improve to be on par with its competitors, such as Palo Alto and Sophos. They are the market leaders. Fortinet FortiGate needs to improve its capabilities. However, we are happy with Fortinet FortiGate."

What is our primary use case?

We use Fortinet FortiGate as a transparent firewall, it is covering the LAN. Whereas, I have a Cisco firewall, which is covering the internet outside. We have two layers of security. FortiGate focuses on the LAN traffic, which is outgoing from the servers in the LAN.

What needs improvement?

Fortinet FortiGate needs to improve to be on par with its competitors, such as Palo Alto and Sophos. They are the market leaders. Fortinet FortiGate needs to improve its capabilities. However, we are happy with Fortinet FortiGate.

Fortinet FortiGate should provide firewall certifications training for NSE 1, 2, and 3. 

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using Fortinet FortiGate for approximately four years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

Fortinet FortiGate is a stable solution.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

I have found Fortinet FortiGate to be scalable.

How are customer service and support?

We were satisfied with the technical support from Fortinet FortiGate.

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

The main reason we chose Fortinet FortiGate was that the price was better than the competition.

Which other solutions did I evaluate?

We evaluated many other firewall vendors, such as Juniper, Sophos, Palo Alto. and SonicWall.

What other advice do I have?

I would recommend to everyone that wants to implement Fortinet FortiGate to always have a support contract.

I rate Fortinet FortiGate an eight out of ten.

I do not give a score of ten to any vendor because there is always room for improvement.

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. Integrator
PeerSpot user
reviewer940329 - PeerSpot reviewer
ICT Systems Administrator at a philanthropy with 11-50 employees
Real User
Stable security solution with easy integration, ease of use, and good product support
Pros and Cons
  • "Security management tool that's easy to integrate and easy to work with. No issues found with its stability and scalability."
  • "Bandwidth usage in reporting could be improved for Fortinet FortiGate."

What is our primary use case?

Our use case for Fortinet FortiGate is that it's a firewall for managing our security.

What is most valuable?

What I found most valuable in Fortinet FortiGate is its easy integration.

It's also able to individually manage users.

I also like the VPN aspect of this solution.

It's a product that's easy to work with, especially when you work from home, e.g. you're able to integrate it easily with the users.

What needs improvement?

Bandwidth usage in reporting could be improved. There's an aspect in reporting that I'm trying, but what I noticed is if you logged into the VPN, there's an effect on the reporting in terms of bandwidth, that needs improvement.

For how long have I used the solution?

We've dealt with Fortinet FortiGate for the last four years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

We didn't have any issues with the stability of Fortinet FortiGate.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

We find Fortinet FortiGate scalable, because currently, we have 150 users of it, and it could handle up to 1,000 users. It's good for growth.

How are customer service and support?

Technical support for this solution is really good.

The first time we were using it, we called support and reported an issue, and saw that support was really good. There's nothing I can complain about regarding technical support for Fortinet FortiGate.

How was the initial setup?

The setup for Fortinet FortiGate was easy, because we had it done by another company. It was a construction company that we had this set up for, but I can't remember their name.

What about the implementation team?

Another company implemented this solution for us, and they also took us through the training and it was okay.

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

If you compare Fortinet FortiGate with Sophos and other firewall products available in the market, this solution is affordable. If you really want to use Fortinet FortiGate, you'll find that it's affordable.

What other advice do I have?

Fortinet FortiGate works well for me. I have not encountered any issues that required me to recommend an action or request if this solution could be improved. It suited the needs of the organization I'm using it in, so I didn't really find an area that needs to be improved, because this solution works very well for us.

My advice to others looking into implementing Fortinet FortiGate is that they need to do their research. They need to find out exactly why they need to use this product and for what purposes, because there are so many options for users. They really need to know what they want for their organization before they implement Fortinet FortiGate. They also need to think about the type of files they require, how many users will use this product, and what they intend to do with it.

If I could give Fortinet FortiGate a score of 11 out of 10, I would. It's very good. It's a ten out of ten for me. It's a really good solution.

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
reviewer1254792 - PeerSpot reviewer
Network Engineer at a comms service provider with 51-200 employees
Real User
Useful resources, low price, and reliable
Pros and Cons
  • "The most valuable features of Fortinet FortiGate are the ease of use and there are several operating systems that can include the hardware capacities. In the newer releases, the resources were more useful because they were included in the operating system."
  • "The platform's interface could improve."

What is our primary use case?

We use both newer and older models of Fortinet FortiGate.

Fortinet FortiGate is used for protecting the perimeter network. Our customers require a solution that secures the network traffic or the communication with the central site.

The communication between the remote site and the central site is with the VPN and we need to analyze the traffic to assure security. Additionally, we use antivirus and IPS for protection. We can see the traffic when applying these objects with security.

What is most valuable?

The most valuable features of Fortinet FortiGate are the ease of use and there are several operating systems that can include the hardware capacities. In the newer releases, the resources were more useful because they were included in the operating system.

What needs improvement?

The platform's interface could improve.

The client and the Fortinet FortiGate have good integration, but there are times it doesn't work as it should. The union with the two technologies, endpoint, and firewall, doesn't work well. There are some things that do not work.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using Fortinet FortiGate for approximately 10 years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

This is a good solution for new clients.

I have found Fortinet FortiGate to be stable.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

There are times Fortinet FortiGate can not be scalable.

We have 20 people using the solution.

How are customer service and support?

The technical support is good. However, there are some problems with the new technology for the new version of the operating system that the support does not know much about. 

We have had two or three cases when we had a problem and the support was very good and responsive. We had an immediate response.

How was the initial setup?

The implementation of Fortinet FortiGate is very easy. The equipment is simple to deploy.

What about the implementation team?

There is little maintenance required, and what needs to be maintained is easy to do.

Most projects required one engineer. If the project requires several branches, with simultaneous deployments, we can need more than three engineers.

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

The price of Fortinet FortiGate is the lowest in the market.

What other advice do I have?

I rate Fortinet FortiGate an eight out of ten.

Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer. Partner
PeerSpot user
Hariom Kumar - PeerSpot reviewer
Manager Technical Support at Rubik Infotech Pvt. Ltd
Real User
Easy to set up and configure with good technical support
Pros and Cons
  • "It's very easy to configure."
  • "It would be ideal if they had some sort of GUI interface for troubleshooting and diagnostics."

What is our primary use case?

We primarily sell FortiGate to clients. We have customers such as pharmaceutical companies and hospitals that require the security on offer. It is a great firewall. 

What is most valuable?

With many companies dealing with users now working from home, definitely a great feature is the SSL VPN. With that, a user can control everything from their own devices and get connected to the servers even if they are off-site.

The initial setup is easy. It's not overly difficult. 

The solution offers very good security. 

It's a good firewall. It's very easy to configure.

What needs improvement?

We require troubleshooting and those kinds of things. We have to worry about debugging. It would be ideal if they had some sort of GUI interface for troubleshooting and diagnostics. That would be much better. FortiGate has only CLI-based diagnostic capabilities. Sometimes it's become very difficult to do all this troubleshooting.

For how long have I used the solution?

We've been handling security solutions lie FortiGate for ten to 15 years at this point. It's been a while. 

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

There are some bugs you have to deal with. There's some troubleshooting that needs to be done. 

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

The solution isn't scalable per se as it is hardware. However, you can always buy more hardware to expand it if you need to. 

How are customer service and support?

Technical support is good. You get very good support from this product overall. We're quite satisfied with their level of service. 

How was the initial setup?

The implementation process is not complex. It's an easy solution. It's not complex setting everything up.

What other advice do I have?

We are resellers of security products. 

New users should be aware that this solution offers very good security. The different level of security we have in Fortinet, in general, is good. They can use various security products to help protect their organizations.

I'd rate the solution at a nine out of ten.

Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer. Implementer
PeerSpot user
LeandroCoelho - PeerSpot reviewer
Pre-sales Analyst at Algar Telecom
Real User
Simple configuration, intuitive graphical interface, and efficient
Pros and Cons
  • "The most valuable feature of Fortinet FortiGate is security. They are known for efficiency and are on the top of Gartner Quadrant reviews. Fortinet FortiGate has an easy-to-use platform with a good graphical interface. The configuration is simple and the solution provides an overall good layer of security."
  • "Fortinet FortiGate could improve by having more storage in the hardware for log data."

What is our primary use case?

Depending on the final cost and any additional costs we deploy Fortinet FortiGate in the cloud or we can deploy on-premises in data centers.

What is most valuable?

The most valuable feature of Fortinet FortiGate is security. They are known for efficiency and are on the top of Gartner Quadrant reviews. Fortinet FortiGate has an easy-to-use platform with a good graphical interface. The configuration is simple and the solution provides an overall good layer of security.

What needs improvement?

Fortinet FortiGate could improve by having more storage in the hardware for log data.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using Fortinet FortiGate for approximately three years.

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

Here in Brazil, we're going through difficult economic times and the tax on the dollar is high. All the solutions from minor competitors are growing in the market. The prices have come more competitive.

What other advice do I have?

I rate Fortinet FortiGate a nine out of ten.

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: June 2025
Buyer's Guide
Download our free Fortinet FortiGate Report and get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions.