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Sachin Vinay - PeerSpot reviewer
Assistant Manager-Networks at Amrita
Real User
Top 5Leaderboard
Has a good set of UTM features, great bandwidth shaping mechanism, and efficient algorithms
Pros and Cons
  • "Has a very user-friendly interface and doesn't require any prior knowledge."
  • "The system can slow down when inspections are carried out."

What is our primary use case?

We manage a university and we're dependent on Fortigate to monitor everything including our research activities. All our network related services are logged by Fortigate. I'm a network administrator and we are customers of Fortinet. 

How has it helped my organization?

Fortigate has been helpful in mitigating ransomware attacks and we receive notification of threats from the cloud services. 

What is most valuable?

We've found the most valuable feature to be the very user-friendly interface. The solution doesn't require any prior knowledge and that's not the case with other firewalls. Fortigate can mitigate all attacks, it can handle a lot. It has a good set of UTM features, a good bandwidth shaping mechanism, and other features. It has efficient algorithms and it competes well with Palo Alto and TechPoint. In terms of VPNs, it has an unlimited count, better than other solutions and it's included in the package. 

What needs improvement?

We sometimes have issues when carrying out inspections because the system slows down and our clients complain about it. The only other drawback is that we have to manually insert certificates for our clients. Most social networking sites have dependencies and to completely block them requires a deep inspection profile. For protection, we need to put the certificates in for all of our clients. It's a major drawback not having it embedded in the system. I would very much like to see Forticlient's new TNA technology included with the original license for Fortigate. It currently requires an additional license which is quite costly for us as a middle-size organization. We could include it with VPN for our clients. 

Buyer's Guide
Fortinet FortiGate
October 2025
Learn what your peers think about Fortinet FortiGate. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: October 2025.
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For how long have I used the solution?

I've been using this solution for 10 years. 

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

This is a really stable product and one of the main reasons we've stayed with it for the past eight years. 

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

The solution is completely scalable, we have over 8,000 users. Almost half of those are students and the rest are teaching staff and researchers. We also have 500 people involved as part of the system support team, IT engineers, and software engineers. The solution requires maintenance and regular upgrades and we have a 9-person team for that.

How are customer service and support?

I'm happy with the technical support although we don't require it much. 

How was the initial setup?

The initial deployment took us around one month back when it was a software-based solution. We had to completely migrate all existing policies to Fortigate. We didn't use any third parties for the implementation. 

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

We purchase a license annually and it's a little expensive. We pay extra for SA. You need a decent budget for Fortigate but once you have that, it's completely scalable. 

Which other solutions did I evaluate?

We previously used Palo Alto and had a ransomware attack they did not detect so we switched to Fortinet. Aside from that, we preferred Fortigate because it's so user-friendly. Admin can configure all the policies easily using the graphic interface in Fortigate. Palo Alto requires a specific application for all admin aspects and some of them can only be done with command line tools. It's really tough for normal admins to do day-to-day configuration.

We also tried Salesforce but felt that we were unable to depend on it for the entire system. We've implemented it for 2,000 people but it's not as user-friendly as Fortigate and without any expertise it's difficult to use. It's mainly command-line technology. It's time-consuming and budget-wise it can't compete with Fortinet. 

What other advice do I have?

I recommend this solution for a mid-level or enterprise organization and rate it nine out of 10. 

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
PeerSpot user
ICT Professional at a tech services company with 51-200 employees
Real User
Fully integrates with our infrastructure appliances, offering useful application control capabilities
Pros and Cons
  • "The most useful feature of FortiGate IPS for me is Application Control."
  • "FortGate's IPS reporting could be made better by giving more details regarding the source and destination of network traffic when it comes to the overview section. This would allow me to more easily follow the flow of traffic based on IP addresses, without having to integrate the IPS with other products that perform more sophisticated traffic analysis."

What is our primary use case?

Our infrastructure includes both FortiGate (81E series) and Cisco Meraki appliances, and we have fully integrated FortiGate IPS with these devices. Essentially, whenever I secure the WAN and LAN and enhance them with security profiles, I will use the IPS's Web Filtering and Application Control features.

What is most valuable?

The most useful feature of FortiGate IPS for me is Application Control.

What needs improvement?

FortGate's IPS reporting could be made better by giving more details regarding the source and destination of network traffic when it comes to the overview section. This would allow me to more easily follow the flow of traffic based on IP addresses, without having to integrate the IPS with other products that perform more sophisticated traffic analysis.

Another improvement, that may only tangentially relate to the IPS, would be to include more functionality and details regarding SD-WAN (such as the ISDB), in order to make it more secure.

For how long have I used the solution?

I've been using Fortinet FortiGate IPS for about seven years. 

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

The stability is fine, but it would be even better if we were to deploy another appliance for higher availability of access, such that there is no downtime at all.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

The scalability of the IPS fits my current needs well. If we were to take on more users, however, we would likely have to change both our appliance and the license.

How are customer service and support?

The support is good because, although the response time for tickets may occasionally take some time, at the end of the day they have always solved the issue at hand. What is also nice is that they can connect with you remotely and help support you at any point.

How would you rate customer service and support?

Positive

How was the initial setup?

The setup was easy for me because I deploy appliances off all kinds and sizes, large and small. I would give the setup a 4/5 in terms of ease.

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

I pay €1,200 per year for the license along with Fortinet's 81E firewall appliance. I would rate this pricing as 3/5 stars, and I believe the price is reasonably similar to its competitors in the market, being somewhere in the middle.

What other advice do I have?

Given my experience and the fact that FortiGate are a leader in the market, I would rate FortiGate IPS 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
Fortinet FortiGate
October 2025
Learn what your peers think about Fortinet FortiGate. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: October 2025.
869,832 professionals have used our research since 2012.
AhmedAboalassaad - PeerSpot reviewer
Network & Security Team Head at Amiral
Real User
Highly reliable, effective profiles, and scalable
Pros and Cons
  • "The most valuable features of Fortinet FortiGate are the different types of profiling. It has been the most effective for me. The WAF and the antivirus profile are the most effective in network protection."
  • "Fortinet FortiGate is a stable solution. However, my issue is the performance only. When I use all the profiles, this affects the performance. From the beginning, I should have had a better sizing of the box."

What is our primary use case?

We use Fortinet FortiGate mostly for a data center firewall.

What is most valuable?

The most valuable features of Fortinet FortiGate are the different types of profiling. It has been the most effective for me. The WAF and the antivirus profile are the most effective in network protection.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using Fortinet FortiGate for approximately seven years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

Fortinet FortiGate is a stable solution. However, my issue is the performance only. When I use all the profiles, this affects the performance. From the beginning, I should have had a better sizing of the box.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

The coverage and scalability of Fortinet FortiGate are good.

We use the solution for daily operations in the data center. There are hundreds of users that use the solution.

How are customer service and support?

The support from Fortinet FortiGate is great. When I have an issue with the support team, it is when I can't understand what they need and they do not understand. They then typically ask for a remote session which can help us receive the solution. Overall, the support team for Fortinet FortiGate is very good.

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup of Fortinet FortiGate is very straightforward.

I rate the initial setup of Fortinet FortiGate a four out of five.

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

We pay for the solution annually.

What other advice do I have?

The sizing is very important for the Fortinet FortiGate because after designing you have to choose what size and what kind of FortiGate you will implement. Sometimes you need to implement profiling and this will take from your processing.

In my area, this solution is recommended for many projects because it's very easy to do the implementation and troubleshoot and is highly stable. The integration between many devices, such as the FortiAnalyzer and FortiManager, is good and helps us. Fortinet FortiGate is recommended for any firewall design.

I rate Fortinet FortiGate a nine out of ten.

Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer. Partner
PeerSpot user
Real User
Top 10
User-friendly, powerful, and has useful training certifications available
Pros and Cons
  • "I love the interface."
  • "The reporting was limited."

What is our primary use case?

I rent spaces for the company. I provide the services for the internet for that company, something like coworking. I need to create policies to prevent intrusions on my clients. I create the policies for each client, and I select the company and create the policy with the specific needs. After that, I apply it for the WLAN for that client. That way, I prevent intrusions on the network.

What is most valuable?

It meets my needs.

The product is very user-friendly.

It is quite scalable. 

I love the interface.

The power is great.

I have a limited embedded team in IT. I have one man on the team for 1,000 users. And this person can manage all the infrastructure due to the fact that the console is very easy, and the people are very happy with the results pertaining to that interface. 

Also, I have created VPNs for all my users to work from their homes. 

What needs improvement?

It is very complex. 

There are a variety of improvements that can be made. 

The reporting was limited. I had to use FortiAnalyzer to obtain a complete solution. The reports are very limited with the solution, basically. Once you implement FortiAnalyzer, you can create very, very detailed reports for all the networks.

For how long have I used the solution?

I've been using the solution for two years now. 

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

The solution scales well. It's not an issue at all if you need to expand. 

How are customer service and support?

Technical support is good. I have additional support from my provider. My provider is a Platinum partner, and half of the technicians have Level 7 or 8 in Fortinet certifications. 

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

In the past, I was working with Cisco and Aruba, however, this was more power and the cost was great.

How was the initial setup?

The setup is a bit complex. However, I only need three weeks to create the machines' settings.

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

For two firewalls with IPS and two access points, FortiAnalyzer, with maybe ten switches, we pay maybe $4,000 a year.

We don't pay any additional costs.

What other advice do I have?

I use a lot of Fortinet devices. 

I'm a customer and end-user. 

I'd rate the solution ten out of ten. 

Everything is good. The support is very, very expert. When you need help, all the people are ready to assist - and that is great. Only I recommended new users to take maybe the certification basics, NSE 1, NSE 2. It's free in the academy for Fortinet. Most problems you can fix with that information and that education, so it's very helpful to be knowledgable.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

Hybrid Cloud
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
PeerSpot user
Quality Trainer at MOH
Real User
Stable, good local support, but security features lacking
Pros and Cons
  • "The Fortinet FortiGate local partners were good. I did not have direct contact with Fortinet support."
  • "Fortinet FortiGate needs to improve the protection, it did not prevent us from being attacked. Additionally, Fortinet FortiGate could provide more features for WAF devices. I should not have to purchase two solutions, it would be a benefit to combine these features into one solution."

What is our primary use case?

We are using Fortinet FortiGate as a central firewall for our ministry, but nowadays we are preparing to join every site we have to our main data center. Fortinet FortiGate firewall will not satisfy our needs.

What needs improvement?

Fortinet FortiGate needs to improve the protection, it did not prevent us from being attacked. Additionally, Fortinet FortiGate could provide more features for WAF devices. I should not have to purchase two solutions, it would be a benefit to combine these features into one solution.

The main challenge to IT is hacking, and damaging the network software. Anything that can make a threat to our servers,  accounts, VC, from an email or internet connection. We need all companies to make investments to improve the facilities of these devices in order to provide a one-package solution to protect our servers, and systems from any hacking, ransomware, virus, any command, or any other threats. They need to improve all the security features.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using Fortinet FortiGate for approximately two years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

Fortinet FortiGate is a stable solution. The main risk was the devices and systems that the end-users are using, whether inside or outside the network. The VC was not secure enough. This causes some threats to our headquarters servers.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

Fortinet FortiGate has limited scalability capabilities. You can't expand these devices. For example, if I was to go from 150 users to approximately 5,000, the CBU capability of the device would not suffice.

How are customer service and support?

The Fortinet FortiGate local partners were good. I did not have direct contact with Fortinet support.

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup of Fortinet FortiGate was very complex because our connection to other sites that were using different network topology and ISP providers. We have faced a very complex situation. The company takes approximately three to four months in order to make our system stable. Nowadays, we are going to make our provider and network with one subnet to make it easier to maintain, manage, and monitor any attack and threats from any device anywhere. This will allow us to access devices, ports, and switches to be able to take the right action.

Our network was very complicated and we are using different operating systems, databases, applications, and video.

What about the implementation team?

We used Fortinet's local partners that helped maintain our financial and management systems.

We have one to two people that do the maintenance of Fortinet FortiGate.

What was our ROI?

I have not seen a return on investment using Fortinet FortiGate.

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

We have the full version of Fortinet FortiGate and we are on a three-year contract with a commitment of five years.

What other advice do I have?

We will be replacing two of our Fortinet FortiGate devices and will move to a solution with better specifications.

I rate Fortinet FortiGate a seven 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.
PeerSpot user
IT Manager at SICOM LTD
Real User
Good pricing, scalable, and helpful for controlling the traffic
Pros and Cons
  • "We were looking for the VPN feature and controlling the inflow and outflow of all the traffic within the site and across the sites. We are also using it for the VPN and VLANs."
  • "It can be a little bit more user-friendly in terms of policy definition and implementation. It seems a little bit complicated, and it could be simplified."

What is our primary use case?

It controls the inflow and outflow of all the communication between different sites and so on. 

We are using its latest version.

What is most valuable?

We were looking for the VPN feature and controlling the inflow and outflow of all the traffic within the site and across the sites. We are also using it for the VPN and VLANs.

What needs improvement?

It can be a little bit more user-friendly in terms of policy definition and implementation. It seems a little bit complicated, and it could be simplified.

When there is a change in the IP address from the ISP, there is some disruption in the service. So, we try to do it when we have the least number of people working, which means very late at night. So, for the time being, it is working fine.

For how long have I used the solution?

We have been using this solution for nearly a year.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

Apart from the disruption in the service because of the IP address change, it has been quite stable.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

We are implementing it phase by phase. Initially, we had one VLAN, and then we added more. So, it is quite scalable, and we haven't had issues with it so far. It has been recommended by the vendor that the model that we have would meet our requirements for the time being. In two or three years, depending on how we expand and how many more resources are required, we might have to look at another version of the device.

How was the initial setup?

It was the vendor who did the initial setup. It was done within the time range that was allocated for the setup. My guess is that it was straightforward.

We are still in the process of implementing the solution. The commissioning has not yet been done. What we had previously is now changed to a new solution and a new way of doing things, and this is still in the implementation phase. Our implementation is being done phase-wise. We do things and tune it until we are happy with it, and then we go to the next phase. So far, it's working fine. 

What about the implementation team?

We have a relationship with the vendor. We discussed what we wanted to do and finally, we selected the product, and after that, it was installed and configured on our premises. 

We have a small team of three or four people for deployment and maintenance.

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

Its pricing is fine. It is on a yearly basis. Other than the licensing fee, there is no extra fee.

What other advice do I have?

I would rate it 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
Luis Teran - PeerSpot reviewer
Engineer at Cyber Sea
Real User
Is affordable and easy to deploy, and has good license management features
Pros and Cons
  • "The license management is very valuable. You can get a new license each year, or you can enroll every two to four years. You can get the logs, and you will get the information on the risk in your network and the entire organization. With this information, you can take action on your actives, computers, or devices. You can bring your own device as an SSE."
  • "The firmware needs improvement because there are bugs when a new release comes through. Sometimes, the configuration changes, and it's a bit harder to see where the fail is. The first time that you have the firmware, it tends to have some issues, and it's better to wait a bit to update the equipment."

What is our primary use case?

The use case for this product has to do with security and visibility. When you are inside the business and when there are different departments and branches, it is used for the visibility of some packets. It can also be used for SSL inspections, to check if the SSL is right and that it is not phishing.

What is most valuable?

The license management is very valuable. You can get a new license each year, or you can enroll every two to four years. You can get the logs, and you will get the information on the risk in your network and the entire organization. With this information, you can take action on your actives, computers, or devices. You can bring your own device as an SSE.

The simplicity of the deployment and the digitization of risk are other valuable features that Fortinet provides.

The cost is low.

What needs improvement?

The firmware needs improvement because there are bugs when a new release comes through. Sometimes, the configuration changes, and it's a bit harder to see where the fail is. The first time that you have the firmware, it tends to have some issues, and it's better to wait a bit to update the equipment.

All the development of the firmware should be fixed before the update at the page level.

API tokens need to be improved, particularly with regard to integration with other cloud solutions. In other words, proxy flow and API integration need improvement.

For how long have I used the solution?

.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

I haven't had any problem with the stability of the product.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

The scalability is good. You can merge other Fortinet products well with this solution.

How are customer service and support?

Technical support has been good.

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup is easy.

The deployment and maintenance can be done by one person.

What about the implementation team?

I did it myself. To create all the policies and configurations needed by the customers, it usually takes me two days or a week at the most if the project is harder.

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

The price is really low. It's cheap in comparison to the cost of Cisco or CheckPoint, for example.

What other advice do I have?

If you want to get this product, first you must evaluate the number of people who will use it, and then choose the product that will best fit your needs.

I would rate this solution at eight on a scale from one to ten.

Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer. Partner
PeerSpot user
AMITKUSHWAHA - PeerSpot reviewer
Optical Fiber Splicer at Tachyon Broadband
Real User
Reliable and easy to set up with good security features
Pros and Cons
  • "The product is scalable."
  • "There could be more modifications."

What is our primary use case?

We primarily use the solution for security purposes. 

What is most valuable?

Some security features are used for side blocking and antivirus and application control and bandwidth control. These are important for us.

The initial setup is straightforward. 

It's a reliable tool.

The product is scalable. 

What needs improvement?

There could be more modifications. Some features are enabled, however, compared to Fortinet, some features are not easy. 

Sometimes the dashboard does not open properly. When we add more options, SD-WAN features, and user control features, the opening is very slow. It does not sync properly.

For how long have I used the solution?

We've used the solution for one or two years. 

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

The solution is stable and quite reliable. There are no bugs or glitches and it doesn't crash or freeze. 

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

The solution is scalable. There is no hardware. There are many clients and we have not had any complaints so far in regard to the product.

How are customer service and support?

Technical support is good, however, they do not respond quickly. They respond late. When we log the case, there's no priority with service. You can't get a response, for example, within an hour or two unless you have priority. Cisco, in contrast, divides its services into P1, P2, or P3. That way, if something is recognized as a P1, they get help much faster. 

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

I also work with Cisco. I'm also aware of Palo Alto as an option. 

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup is straightforward and not complex. It's easy compared to Palo Alto and a few others.

Our deployment of Fortinet FortiGate took two years.

What about the implementation team?

We are resellers. We are able to handle the setup and deployment.

What other advice do I have?

We are resellers. 

The Fortinet 201 and 900 series are very good.

I'd rate the solution nine 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.
PeerSpot user
Buyer's Guide
Download our free Fortinet FortiGate Report and get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions.
Updated: October 2025
Buyer's Guide
Download our free Fortinet FortiGate Report and get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions.