Fortinet FortiGate Reviews

Fortinet FortiGate is used just to manage our network because our network is managed by another company. I work in a small to medium-sized industry.

Fortinet FortiGate is used to prevent security failures. Since implementing the solution, we have seen improvements in security and in the distribution of our network.

In my opinion, Fortinet FortiGate could be improved by making the appliance smaller than what we have here, as it is pretty big.

We have been using Fortinet FortiGate for three or four years.

Fortinet FortiGate is better for large enterprise networking compared to MikroTik because we have about 100 people using our network, and we have had few problems compared to the time we were using MikroTik, which didn't work for us as well as the Fortinet FortiGate 200D does.

We never have any issue or problem that hasn't been solved in two or three hours. The quick resolution of issues with Fortinet FortiGate is due to the support of the company and the fact that the equipment is easy to work with. Fortinet FortiGate does not require a lot of maintenance.

Positive

We have been using Fortinet FortiGate for three or four years, and before that, we used MikroTik. We switched to Fortinet FortiGate because the company that provides service for us started to work with Fortinet FortiGate as a partner, and they showed it to us. We liked it, and we started to use the Fortinet FortiGate solution.

The initial setup for Fortinet FortiGate was pretty easy, and they completed it in one hour and a half.

Two people worked to support us on Fortinet FortiGate. One of their job roles was manager, and I don't know the other role.

My advice for people thinking about using Fortinet FortiGate is that you have to try to understand your necessities first. Make a comparison with other players in the market and have a good company to manage the equipment if you don't have the competence to do it yourself, preferably a third company that does this for you. 

I would rate Fortinet FortiGate an eight out of ten.

We use different solutions from FortiGate, focusing primarily on their firewalls within our department. However, due to a reorganization, the operational maintenance of FortiGate is now managed by someone else.

The most helpful features of FortiGate include its firewall policy, specifically the user-based policy, which I find to be quite beneficial in managing our network security effectively. FortiGate has also provided reliable protection against many attacks, although it lacks the ability to detect specific attacks like SQL injection, which usually requires a web application firewall.

The main area needing improvement is the user-friendliness of FortiGate's integration with other Fortinet tools like FortiAuthenticator and VPN services. Configuring these services is quite complex and not very user-friendly, requiring technical steps that are difficult for normal users to understand. Fortinet support's resolution of issues is slow, and the research on making the solution user-friendly needs to progress further.

I have worked with FortiGate for more than eight or nine years.

We have not faced any stability issues with FortiGate since we specified sizable RAM and CPU, and our size was adequate for our traffic.

Fortinet provides a prompt response. However, the resolution process is slow. While their response time is quick, their ability to resolve issues takes a long time.

Neutral

We have previously used a solution called Cyberoam, which has been replaced with a new brand. There are also managed firewalls offered as a cloud solution that we have not considered yet.

In terms of cost-effectiveness, Fortinet tools like FortiGate are costly for us as a higher education institute in India. Our expenditure is focused on minimal levels, however, FortiGate's pricing is positioned for corporate levels, which can be inflexible.

We are considering replacing Fortinet with a different solution, taking about a year to change configurations and rules.

Fortinet should consider developing a pricing scheme for the education segment since educational institutions in India operate on non-profit terms and under government regulations. They could potentially follow Kaspersky's example, which provided a more affordable pricing model for students and educational institutes. 

As a product, I would rate FortiGate around seven out of ten.

On-premises

The main use cases for Fortinet FortiGate usually include security to filter traffic to inside the network, load balancing and QoS for the user side, as well as Zero Trust Network Access, allowing users outside and inside the network fabric to connect to our application that is under the firewall.

The most useful features in Fortinet FortiGate are the security features, where we can analyze what kind of traffic is inside our network, and we also utilize ZTNA for limiting and managing our network access. 

The issue with Fortinet FortiGate is the many security CVEs around; I have read there are probably multiple critical CVEs above 9.0 in Fortinet FortiGate products. There appear to be fewer issues with other brands such as Palo Alto or Check Point, but especially with Fortinet FortiGate, there are many vulnerabilities that can be found. The way we manage this is by applying updates whenever new ones are available, but the high critical CVEs generate concern, as we buy security products for our safety and when we find that attackers can easily breach them, it makes us question the safety of the product itself. 

I hope we can deploy the product in an active-active configuration since we currently have two units in an active and passive setup. There are limitations when trying to install it with active-active, but we hope to run it that way.

I have been working with the Fortinet FortiGate firewall for two years.

Stability wise, Fortinet FortiGate is quite good; we rarely have issues with stability, and compared to the previous solution we had, which was much worse, Fortinet FortiGate has had no issues so far.

Fortinet FortiGate is not very scalable. We use the appliance, and once we are out of capacity, we have to buy a new one, as there is no way through scalability. I would rate scalability as a seven out of ten.

I rarely use customer support, but there are a few cases where I tried to reach out before, and it was handled and closed properly, so I had no issues. I would rate the support as nine, based on my experience.

The previous solution we used was Sophos. Sophos had stability problems.

The setup is not complex. It's quite straightforward.

The return on investment after implementing Fortinet FortiGate has been quite okay, allowing us to get the value of what we paid for.

The benefit is more like we are buying insurance. All of the security products may be optional, but having them helps us feel safer and assures us that our network is protected from attackers.

It's affordable. We usually pay about 10K USD annually for the license on a yearly basis.

We have experience with integrating SD-WAN capabilities in Fortinet FortiGate. It is only useful if we have multiple internet operators; if we use a one-to-one connection, there are no benefits. Some of our sites do have multiple internet access, allowing us to use SD-WAN to manage the connection, making it easier to treat it as a single connection while SD-WAN helps manage and load balance between those two.

We do not use Fortinet Unified SASE now, but we are considering implementing it. In the data center, we actually have another solution, but Fortinet FortiGate is used only for our customer-facing side.

My advice to those planning to use Fortinet FortiGate is to check for updates often. We had several issues before due to the firmware we used, but after upgrading to the 7.4 firmware, a lot of issues were resolved just by applying the update regularly. Actually, compared to other firewalls, it is on the very affordable side.

I would rate Fortinet FortiGate an eight out of ten.

On-premises

We are using it for security purposes. We have deployed it across multiple locations where we are already using it.

The security features are valuable, particularly the ransomware attack protection features. Fortinet FortiGate provides excellent security against ransomware attacks.

It contains every feature that is required. The things we require are already sorted out, so there isn't any scope for improvement as far as our requirements go. However, its price can be better.

We have been using it for more than one and a half months.

It's stable. I would rate it an eight out of ten for stability.

It's scalable. I would rate it a nine out of ten for scalability.

I am handling all the operations. We have multiple staff members at multiple locations.

Coming from a technical background, there hasn't been any requirement to speak with customer care representatives. The manual provided covers everything comprehensively.

Neutral

I have experience with Sophos, Fortinet FortiGate, and SonicWall.

We purchased it through our vendor. Our company doesn't prefer to make purchases through online shopping platforms such as Amazon and Flipkart.

We have seen a return on investment of more than 20%.

It is somewhat expensive compared to other solutions such as Sophos.

I would recommend it to others. I would rate Fortinet FortiGate a nine out of ten. There isn't a need to compare it with anyone else because Fortinet FortiGate is at the top of the market.

Private Cloud

The use case for Fortinet FortiGate primarily refers to firewall functionality. 

The best features of Fortinet FortiGate include the simple user interface. The GUI is in English with intuitive navigation. It is very easy to find solutions, meaning it is simple to locate what we need and which settings we need to modify through the GUI.

We have integrated FortiGate SD-WAN. It's working pretty well.

Areas that have room for improvement in Fortinet FortiGate include support and GUI enhancement. While the GUI is already simple, further improvements would greatly benefit them.

I have been working with Fortinet FortiGate for one year in this organization.

I would rate the stability of Fortinet FortiGate as eight out of ten, as it has proven to be reliable.

Fortinet FortiGate is scalable. We primarily deal with small and medium businesses, and for our clients in this segment, it works effectively.

The technical support that Fortinet provides is not satisfactory. When we call Fortinet technical support, it takes too much time to connect with them. The process is complicated, requiring us to hold for many minutes, and when we visit clients, we are not satisfied with their technical support.

Neutral

We work with five firewall vendors, including Fortinet, Cisco, Palo Alto, SonicWall, and Sophos. We have specialists for their products.

We first recommend Fortinet FortiGate or Palo Alto. If a customer cannot afford Palo Alto, we recommend Fortinet FortiGate. If they cannot afford Fortinet FortiGate, we recommend Sophos or SonicWall.

When comparing security policies, Palo Alto is superior to Fortinet FortiGate, but Fortinet FortiGate is adequate. For businesses with higher requirements, we recommend Palo Alto due to its advanced security features, while for small and medium businesses, we suggest firewalls based on their specific requirements.

Deployment of Fortinet FortiGate is straightforward. If the customer requires, we can configure it from our end and deploy it directly.

Our clients are small and medium-sized businesses. They can't afford the cloud. They take the device and install it on-premises.

Fortinet FortiGate is cost-efficient. Palo Alto is expensive, but Fortinet FortiGate is not.

I would recommend Fortinet FortiGate because the GUI is understandable for English speakers, and the configuration is straightforward. 

I would rate Fortinet FortiGate an eight out of ten.

On-premises

We are using Fortinet FortiGate SWG for web filtering, application control, and IDPS. Additionally, we utilize it for VPN and the main features of a firewall.

Web filtering is very good, as well as IDPS. SD-WAN is a perfect feature. Additionally, the VPN is stable and very good. These features have proven effective in protecting our network, handling large volumes of traffic smoothly without any issues.

More improvement in AI would be a good edge. We would like the VPN to act as a web filtering solution because users outside the company don't have web filtering. It supports web filtering with an additional license.

We have been working with Fortinet FortiGate SWG for more than nine years.

We did not face any challenges during the installation. The process was very smooth.

Fortinet FortiGate SWG works well, handling the whole traffic smoothly with no problems. We have not faced any issues with stability.

The solution is very scalable.

We haven't needed to work directly with Fortinet support recently. Seven years ago, the experience was not good, warranting a rating of five based on that past experience.

Neutral

The initial setup took just a few hours, as it was completed on the same day.

The implementation involved two engineers.

There are financial benefits as Fortinet's products are considered good value for money due to their robust features, despite being priced higher than competitors.

Fortinet products are very expensive compared to competitors like Sophos and SonicWall. From a pricing perspective, I would rate them a six.

Fortinet FortiGate SWG is a leader regarding Gartner. It has a friendly user interface and is very secure compared to others with many features. I recommend it to other companies because of these advantages. I would rate the product a nine. The overall product rating is nine.

Hybrid Cloud

Microsoft Azure

We use Fortinet FortiGate IPS to enhance our network security. It is especially necessary to secure the edge of the company.

The whole IPS suite is valuable, especially with the updates from FortiGuard. It provides real-time updates, offering a good vision on any changes. For example, if the rating of a certain website changes, we can investigate potential malicious content with FortiAnalyzer.

The pricing of Fortinet FortiGate IPS could always be improved.

I have been using Fortinet FortiGate IPS for two and a half years.

The deployment of Fortinet FortiGate IPS was moderate in complexity. It took approximately two hours to deploy, depending on one’s knowledge, and it was carried out by four or five engineers in the company.

Stability is generally good, but if you include FortiOS underlying in the FortiGate, there are often some patches to do and some loopholes. I would rate the stability as eight out of ten.

The scalability of Fortinet FortiGate IPS is good, and I would rate it nine out of ten.

The technical support from Fortinet is rather good, and I would rate it nine out of ten.

Positive

I worked a little bit with WatchGuard, but I do not know a lot about it. I am only here for two years and do not have experience with other vendors.

The initial setup of Fortinet FortiGate IPS took about two hours and was of moderate complexity.

The implementation of Fortinet FortiGate IPS was carried out by my team internally with four or five engineers involved.

I rate the pricing with an eight out of ten. They could always improve the pricing.

No, we are not considering any alternatives for Fortinet FortiGate IPS. We are quite happy with the product.

I would recommend Fortinet FortiGate IPS as it is a core component of cybersecurity for our company. Having a FortiGate without IPS services doesn't make sense for us. I would rate the overall solution nine out of ten.

On-premises

Our organization utilizes Fortinet FortiGate for SD-WAN. All business units within our organization connect to the SD-WAN, which is constructed using Fortinet devices.

The primary reason we implemented Fortinet FortiGate was to enhance connectivity. Our previous reliance on MPLS resulted in low bandwidth and high costs. By transitioning to SD-WAN devices and leveraging common ISP connections, we have achieved two significant goals: substantial cost savings and increased flexibility in configuring device communications across our various plants.

FortiGate offers us the capability to provide visibility into and segmentation of our industrial devices. We are currently implementing this for the LAN, and we are migrating firewalls to Fortinet FortiGate devices. In this process, we are separating the operational network from the IT network.

Knowing that some of Fortinet's devices can be used in harsh environments that's nice to have. But that's something that is not needed right now just because we are only using them in very few places. These devices are specifically used to prevent intrusions in harsh environments. 

These devices help to control network traffic with OT-specific protocols. The LAN firewalls we have implemented are purchased with the functionality of network-specific modules to enable the management of network traffic with OT-specific protocols.

The approved offerings help us achieve our budgetary goals. We are adapting the budget to align with the devices provided by Fortinet. We are doing this because we can utilize Fortinet. Therefore, all of our budgets should take this into account as well.

The decision to utilize Fortinet stems from its ability to integrate with our preferred vendors. We have plans to implement both ClearPass and Nozomi as part of our OT cybersecurity strategy, both of which offer API-based interfaces for connecting to FortiGate devices. This interoperability is crucial for our organization.

The combination of FortiGate and FortiManager provides a comprehensive overview of all the firewalls we manage. It is very convenient to have everything centralized in one place.

FortiGate has helped reduce the risk of cyberattacks that could disrupt our production, which is one of our primary goals.

We were not affected by any cybersecurity attacks that would have impacted our production operations. However, we have a comprehensive plan in place to address such incidents. FortiManager enables us to block essential protocols and implement security measures across all business units if we detect a security breach in one area. This centralized approach ensures that the security measures we implement are consistently applied throughout the organization.

FortiGate has aided in centralizing the management of our network and security operations. The impact of this on the operational efficiency of our industrial network depends on how we organize it. Centralized management has significantly simplified management tasks. However, we require a dedicated team capable of addressing the diverse needs of different plants and business units, implementing necessary changes, and resolving any issues that arise. A single point of contact facilitates this process. In this regard, we have not only improved operational efficiency but also consolidated our management structure, reducing the need for multiple teams scattered across different countries.

FortiGate provides us with actionable data that helps us make informed decisions about the appropriate actions to take. Additionally, we utilize FortiAnalyzer to analyze the type of traffic we are experiencing, potential issues, and other relevant information. Furthermore, we monitor CPU memory, bandwidth, and other metrics associated with various IP connections using Fortinet devices. This monitoring is conducted across multiple firewalls. By employing these tools, we can ensure that any changes we make are the correct ones and are made for the right reasons.

The implementation of Fortinet's Security Fabric has significantly enhanced the security of our industrial control system. Previous solutions were unable to effectively manage the diverse protocols employed in this environment, resulting in operational and technological limitations. However, with the introduction of the new security fabric, we are now able to address these challenges and achieve a more robust security posture.

The Fortinet Security Fabric helps us reduce our mean time to remediation. With all its tools and centralized management, it's much easier to identify and resolve issues, leading to improved overall security posture.

Fortinet helped mature our approach to cybersecurity for protecting our industrial equipment.

The flexibility and ease of configuration are the most valuable features.

Overall, we are satisfied with the product. However, we encounter occasional capacity issues. The FortiAnalyzer, being a hardware appliance, has limited expansion capabilities. As our organization has grown, we've outpaced the FortiAnalyzer's performance. The inability to scale the FortiAnalyzer to match our growth necessitates the purchase of new hardware. This is an area that could be improved. If we anticipate reaching the size of six countries within the next five years, investing in a solution that can accommodate such growth would be more cost-effective than repeatedly purchasing new hardware. The ability to scale the FortiAnalyzer in tandem with our growth would be a significant improvement.

I have been using Fortinet FortiGate for over three years.

FortiGate is now stable. We experienced some difficulties in the beginning, possibly due to some bugs we encountered. However, for approximately the past six months, we have been closely monitoring various ratings for FortiOS versions. As a result, we are currently running only on mature versions. Since then, we have observed that the device is significantly more stable than before.

The scalability for the FortiManger and the devices themselves is a nine out of ten but for the FortiAnalyzer it is a six out of ten.

On the few occasions that we have needed to use technical support, we have found them to be responsive.

Positive

We used different solutions such as Cisco, Watchguard and Sophos in different countries, and one of the reasons we switched to FortiGate was to standardize what we used in all the countries.

The FortiManager is one of the biggest advantages they have. From a single management point, we can manage all the devices connected to the support manager. This is something I haven't seen before. So, in that sense, I would say that the most important difference between FortiGate and other vendors is the FortiManager.

Due to the extensive network, the deployment spanned several months; however, on a site-by-site basis, each deployment was completed within a few hours. We had a minimum of two people per country involved in the deployment with 1-2 people from Central IT.

It was a mixed team vendor - in-house. The vendor expertise was really good and I would rate it on a 9 out of 10.

FortiGate's pricing falls within the mid-range when compared to other leading firewall solutions. While it's more expensive than Sophos, it's more affordable than Palo Alto.

I would rate Fortinet FortiGate eight out of ten.

We have FortiGate deployed across multiple locations with 120 firewalls.

I suggest testing FortiGate. For organizations looking for an affordable solution, with good management and initial management, Fortinet FortiGate is the right choice.

On-premises