Mario De Keer - PeerSpot reviewer
IT Infrastructure & Service Manageer at Cerba Research
Real User
Has a clear pricing policy, and with VDOMs, we can split the rules and policies between two different companies
Pros and Cons
  • "It is easy to use. We chose this product for the possibility to have virtual domains (VDOMs). We are building another company in the group, and we would like to split the firewalling rules and policies between these two companies. Each company would be able to manage its own policies and security rules, which is an advantage of Fortinet FortiGate. We can define VDOMs, and every company can manage its own VDOM as if it has its own physical firewall, but in fact, we would be using the same physical appliance because we are also using the same internet lines. So, it allows us to reuse the existing resources without the disadvantage of having to compromise on policies and security. Each company can choose its own way of working."
  • "We had some issues in the beginning while setting it up, but after doing the firmware update, it is working fine."

What is our primary use case?

It is used as a defense mechanism for securing the internal network from the external network. We also use it to have VPN tunnels between us and our partners and the support organizations we work with.

We are using FortiGate 200F.

What is most valuable?

We are mostly using it as a defense mechanism. It has many more possibilities, but at this moment, it is only used for defense against attacks. It is doing what it should do with the FortiGuard subscription on it, which is an advanced security subscription.

It is easy to use. We chose this product for the possibility to have virtual domains (VDOMs). We are building another company in the group, and we would like to split the firewalling rules and policies between these two companies. Each company would be able to manage its own policies and security rules, which is an advantage of Fortinet FortiGate. We can define VDOMs, and every company can manage its own VDOM as if it has its own physical firewall, but in fact, we would be using the same physical appliance because we are also using the same internet lines. So, it allows us to reuse the existing resources without the disadvantage of having to compromise on policies and security. Each company can choose its own way of working.

What needs improvement?

I don't see any area of improvement at this moment. I'm responsible for the IT infrastructure. I'm not a security specialist. The IT security is being managed by the CSO in our company. 

We had some issues in the beginning while setting it up, but after doing the firmware update, it is working fine.

For how long have I used the solution?

It has been a little over a year since we have the firewall cluster in place.

Buyer's Guide
Fortinet FortiGate
April 2024
Learn what your peers think about Fortinet FortiGate. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: April 2024.
768,578 professionals have used our research since 2012.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

It is a stable product. We had some issues in the beginning while setting it up, but we received an update of the firmware, and since then, it has been stable.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

It is being implemented for everybody. It is our security layer.

How are customer service and support?

Their support is good. We had some issues in the beginning, and they were resolved within a couple of days after we explained what we were trying to do. They confirmed that it is a bug, and they would give us a fix. A couple of days later, we had the fix.

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

We were using SonicWall firewalls. We found FortiGate better, and we switched everything. We decommissioned all SonicWall firewalls. One of the reasons why we changed from SonicWall was that its licensing was user-based and function-based. So, every time we did something, we had to add another license or subscription. The licensing of FortiGate is clear. We know what is the price.

We migrated last year from a typical MPLS network to a complete and only one network between the sites. For firewalls, we now have a few solutions in place in our headquarters. We have Fortinet Firewall Cluster, and on the remote sites, we are using Meraki firewalls that are being used as a router at the same time. 

How was the initial setup?

It is easy to use.

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

Its price is reasonable. They have a clear pricing policy. It is not complicated by the number of VPN users at a time. We know what the price is. The yearly subscription for the security license is rather high, but it is all included for whatever number of users you have and the kind of functions you need.

What other advice do I have?

I would rate it a nine out of ten.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

On-premises
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
Network Engineer at a logistics company with 10,001+ employees
Real User
A simple-to-configure and stable product with VPN concentrator and competitive pricing
Pros and Cons
  • "The simplicity of the configuration and the stability of the product are most valuable. The VPN concentrator is very useful."
  • "It is quite new for us, and we need to go more in-depth into the monitoring tools. It provides different features that we need to do what we want. So far, it is okay for us. In terms of improvement, in the future, they can provide a faster implementation of features. Some of the features are first available in other solutions. Fortinet sometimes takes a little bit longer than other solutions, such as Check Point, to implement new features."

What is our primary use case?

We are using it in our data center. It is being used at the perimeter of our data center to protect the applications that we have inside the data center. We are at the beginning of its installation in our data center. We have recently installed a new cluster for IPS functionality, and we have to check if this cluster does the job.

We are using its latest version.

What is most valuable?

The simplicity of the configuration and the stability of the product are most valuable. The VPN concentrator is very useful. 

What needs improvement?

It is quite new for us, and we need to go more in-depth into the monitoring tools. It provides different features that we need to do what we want. So far, it is okay for us. In terms of improvement, in the future, they can provide a faster implementation of features. Some of the features are first available in other solutions. Fortinet sometimes takes a little bit longer than other solutions, such as Check Point, to implement new features.

For how long have I used the solution?

It is quite a new product for us. We started using it only about six months ago.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

Its stability is okay for us. Since we have put this new cluster, we haven't had any problems or crashes. It's okay for us from this point of view.

We got this firewall just less than a year ago, and we hope to see good performance in three or four years.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

There are around 10,000 people in our company, and they are all using FortiGate because they all need to go through this cluster of firewalls.

How are customer service and support?

I have not yet interacted with them. That's because we didn't encounter any important issues. When we have any technical questions, our partner has been able to answer our questions. So, I don't have any experience with Fortinet support.

How was the initial setup?

It is straightforward at the beginning.

What about the implementation team?

We worked with a partner. Usually, when we have a project, we do the initial setup with this partner. After that, we are able to manage the firewall without any outside help. 

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

Its pricing is competitive with other solutions.

Which other solutions did I evaluate?

We chose it after comparing different solutions on the market.

What other advice do I have?

I would recommend this product. It is very easy to use. We are happy to use this product.

I would rate it an eight out of 10.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

On-premises
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
Buyer's Guide
Fortinet FortiGate
April 2024
Learn what your peers think about Fortinet FortiGate. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: April 2024.
768,578 professionals have used our research since 2012.
Volodymyr Khorenzhyi - PeerSpot reviewer
Network Engineer at Thunder Software Technology Co., Ltd.
Real User
Top 5
Reasonably priced with many great features and excellent reliability
Pros and Cons
  • "The pricing is great and very reasonable."
  • "It would be good if they had fewer updates."

What is our primary use case?

It is our primary router here in the office with all the firewall policies.

What is most valuable?

The solution has many valuable features. I like all of them.

Its stability is great. On a previous job, we set probably up to 100 FortiGates, and during the three years they were set up none of them failed.

It's a very scalable solution.

The pricing is great and very reasonable. 

The initial setup is simple. 

We use a yearly subscription for a unified protection model. I like the features that it gives me. It is actually a built-in proxy server and it allows me to use great protection and so on. In terms of application control, the built-in anti-virus is okay. One of the things that I like the most is it has a built-in SD-WAN solution - its price is included in the hardware. I don't need to buy anything else to use SD-WAN. This is the feature that I like, in Fortinet, probably the most. All other vendors sell SD-WAN as a separate solution and you must buy a separate controller which has to be installed somewhere, on-premise or on the cloud, and it costs money. Fortigate does not.

What needs improvement?

I can't think of an area of the product that needs improvement. Even the cost is okay. I have no real complaints. 

It would be good if they had fewer updates. Almost every update has bots that are either critical or something small yet valuable. Whenever I try to do an update, I always fear that something will break.

For how long have I used the solution?

I've used the solution for a few years. I used it on a previous project and I use it now as well.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

The stability has been excellent. It's very reliable and the performance is great. They have not failed in three years. There are no bugs or glitches. It doesn't crash or freeze. 

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

The scalability of the product is great. If a company needs to expand it, it can do so.

Up to 100 people use it right now, and likely we will increase usage so that it covers 150 to 200 users. 

If our other branch offices open in other cities or other countries, I will buy another firewall for them as well.

How are customer service and support?

I've contacted technical support in the past.

For example, I tried to update my firewall to 7.0.4 and there was a block with the DHCP server. Some devices did not acquire an IP address. Really, it was something about FortiGate. I asked Fortinet for technical support and I created a ticket, and the next day they replied to me they agree that this was a bug that they would work on. As far as I can see now, there is already an option of 7.0.5. While I didn't test it myself, in the changelog I can see that this bug is fixed.

So far, we have been satisfied as they have answered us by the next day typically.

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

I did not previously use a different solution.

How was the initial setup?

It's an easy setup. Everything is very straightforward and simple to understand. It's not complex, not difficult. A company won't have any issues with the process.

The deployment might take up to one week. I don't remember exactly. I continued to add some features, however, in the instant deployment, when it came here I had another router here, it wasn't too long of a process. Later, I asked my bosses to buy a firewall and when it arrived, on a Friday in the evening, I installed it and everything was fine. It was very fast.

I handle the deployment and maintenance myself. We do not need a big team to manage everything. It's pretty low-maintenance. 

What about the implementation team?

I handled the implementation myself. I did not need a consultant or an integrator.

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

The pricing is very fair for a firewall. There's nothing to complain about in terms of licensing.

The price model is fair. I have to pay only for the features that only Fortinet gives me. Things like routing are free. Other vendors like Cisco, make me pay for things that should be free.

What other advice do I have?

I would recommend the solution to others.

Fortinet has an education platform that is named trainingfortinet.com and many courses are on there. All the video lessons are free. Users can view them to learn about the features that Fortinet has. It's an excellent resource.

I would rate the solution at a nine out of ten.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

On-premises
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
Senior ICT Solutions Architect at a tech services company with 51-200 employees
Reseller
Competitively priced, user-friendly security solution with good technical support, but has issues with scalability
Pros and Cons
  • "User-friendly and affordable security solution that's recommended for SMB customers. This solution has good technical support."
  • "Scalability for Fortinet FortiGate needs to be improved. SD-WAN security for this solution also needs some improvement."

What is most valuable?

Fortinet FortiGate is user-friendly. When it comes to firewall enterprise security and email security, this solution is at the top. It's better and it's affordable. If you compare it with some other email security like Mimecast and similar solutions, those products are better than Fortinet, but here in the Fiji region, Fortinet FortiGate has better service. In some other regions, this solution may not be doing well, but in Fiji, it's working out well. Fortinet has so many customers in Fiji.

What needs improvement?

What I'd like to be improved in Fortinet FortiGate is for it to have advanced WAF functionality. Even in FortiADC, WAF functionality is not supported for advanced attacks, e.g. mobile bot attacks. Fortinet FortiGate needs to improve its WAF function.

SD-WAN is also good in this product, but it still needs improvement, particularly in security. We saw some attacks last year, so they need to improve on that.

For how long have I used the solution?

I've been dealing with Fortinet FortiGate for eight years.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

There are some issues with the scalability of Fortinet FortiGate. Certain products and models need to be scalable, but they're not. For example, if you go with 400F, they only have two SFP+ ports, while the F5 has four ports.

When you're expanding the number of users for this solution, they'll ask you to replace the model, and this can be a big cost to customers, which could affect scalability.

How are customer service and support?

We are happy with the technical support for this product, because the Fiji region is supported by New Zealand, where support for Fortinet FortiGate is better.

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

Fortinet FortiGate is an affordable solution, but when expanding the number of users, they'll ask you to replace the model, so that's an added cost.

Pricing for this product is comparatively lower than other products. If you compare it with Forcepoint, Cisco, and other products, Fortinet FortiGate pricing is reasonable, and that includes all the service and support we need. Whenever we need support as a partner, they're able to deliver that support to us, unlike with F5 where there's premium support and standard support, which means you'll have to pay F5 extra.

Which other solutions did I evaluate?

I evaluated Cisco and Forcepoint solutions.

What other advice do I have?

We are an IT infrastructure company, and we are dealing with one of the banks here. They need a solution which they'll use for application delivery, load balancing, and as their web application firewall.

We are a reseller and partner of Fortinet, but only for their firewall product, e.g. FortiCloud WAF, not FortiADC. We've also been working with Fortinet FortiGate.

The solution we're looking for which will be implemented for our customer, e.g. a bank, is a solution with basic functionality, e.g. FortiGate. It will only be used for two or so web applications. If our customer needs a bigger functionality, then I would propose a different solution: F5. For the government, we always propose F5.

My advice to people who want to implement this solution is simple: It's an affordable product for the SMB customer, but for customers with bigger environments, I would recommend that they go for other products with premium support.

My rating for Fortinet FortiGate is seven out of ten, if you consider the Fiji market.

We saw that Fortinet is working towards the ZTNA model, e.g. SASE, and also working towards zero trust products, which is good. They're also improving slowly in privileged access management, e.g. they don't have one, but they're trying to introduce it by the end of the year.

Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: Partner
PeerSpot user
Managing Director with 51-200 employees
Real User
Secure, reliable, and support included
Pros and Cons
  • "Fortinet FortiGate is stable. It's used across all the countries, this is the way most multinationals run their system."
  • "Fortinet FortiGate is a firewall solution and once it's deployed, you can rest assured that your system is secure."

What is our primary use case?

We use Fortinet FortiGate to filter information, to ensure that we secure our network. Additionally, it's for overall security and to ensure that no information is leaking out.

What is most valuable?

Fortinet FortiGate is a firewall solution and once it's deployed, you can rest assured that your system is secure.

Since we have been using Fortinet FortiGate, we've not had anyone breaking into our network. We've used some penetration tests, and the system is very secure. However, the security of the network is dependent on the personnel itself.

For example, if you have a phishing email, you click on it, it takes you to the wrong server, and you put your credentials there, they can use those credentials to attack your system. In terms of somebody trying to break into your network without having the necessary credentials, Fortinet FortiGate is very good.

What needs improvement?

The solution could improve by being more secure.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using Fortinet FortiGate for approximately six years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

Fortinet FortiGate is stable. It's used across all the countries, this is the way most multinationals run their system.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

The solution is scalable.

If the business expands into other geographical zones, we will need to expand the network and secure it. This is when we will expand the use of Fortinet FortiGate. However, because of this pandemic, businesses are slowly getting back to normal. 

I don't think that expansion will come up in the next one or two years. Maybe in the next three years once they start to pick up their business, then there might be such an expansion or increase in hardware needed.

How are customer service and support?

Each of the devices is licensed every year and in case you have a serious critical issue we can contact the support from FortiGate directly. We contact them every once and a while but not often. We have to purchase a license that allows us the support to use them.

The support could be faster to come out with a solution.

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

We were using Cisco previously.

How was the initial setup?

The Fortinet FortiGate deployment is not difficult. It's not simple, but it's easy for someone to learn. The whole process took approximately three hours. Cisco solutions are more difficult to deploy.

What about the implementation team?

We have experts in-house with experience and we did the deployment in-house. They used the deployment resources internally to deploy it.

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

The solution requires a license annually, it is not a user license, you can have as many users as your want. I must renew the license regularly per device.

The support is included in the license.

What other advice do I have?

I rate Fortinet FortiGate a nine out of ten.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

On-premises
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
Ahmad Aloqlah - PeerSpot reviewer
General Manager at GlobalTech
Real User
Powerful firewall with a user friendly interface and content filtering
Pros and Cons
  • "The most valuable feature is the interface, which is very user friendly. We are utilizing most of the features, like content filtering. The firewall is powerful."
  • "The renewal price and the availability could be improved."

What is our primary use case?

Our primary use case is mainly for firewalls. We tried FortiClient as well and FortiToken, but we mainly use it for the firewall.

The solution is deployed on-prem. We are using the latest version.

What is most valuable?

The most valuable feature is the interface, which is very user friendly. We are utilizing most of the features, like content filtering. The firewall is powerful.

What needs improvement?

The renewal price and the availability could be improved. We faced a lot of delivery issues because of the pandemic situation. We are a customer, but sometimes we have sister companies, so we deliver or order a few extra boxes. In these cases we are facing some delays, like three or four months. There are a massive delays in deliveries and they're saying that it's from the vendor itself. I don't know how long this will last or if it's just temporary.

For how long have I used the solution?

We have been using this solution for six to seven years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

The solution is stable. The only issue is the renewal price, which is always higher compared to the purchase price.

We have two people for maintenance from network and security.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

We have up to 100 users, and we are pretty satisfied. It's stable. We have never had to scale up because of the newest model. We go with C, E, then F, but at the same level, we never had to upgrade the hardware itself to a higher or a bigger model.

How are customer service and support?

We raised a few tickets and issues, and they replied to us. It was pretty good. We have never faced any problems with getting our issues resolved.

How was the initial setup?

It was straightforward. We didn't face any issues.

What about the implementation team?

We implemented through a reseller and it took couple of days. There were some modifications and configurations that took more time, but the core configuration took a couple of days.

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

The renewal price is always higher compared to the purchase price.

Which other solutions did I evaluate?

Fortinet is one of our top products, our main products. They have 75% market share, so we cannot ignore the fact that they are in the market, but I need an alternate solution. I don't want to depend on only one vendor, so I think Sophos will be a good option for us.

What other advice do I have?

I would rate this solution 8 out of 10.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

On-premises
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
Presales Manager at rayat
Real User
Makes it easy to create policies and integrates with Active Directory
Pros and Cons
  • "The integration with Active Directory is one of the good features. Most of the customers are now looking for the Single Sign-on feature. So, being able to integrate Active Directory with the firewall is useful. It is also easy."
  • "Its reporting and pricing need improvement."

What is most valuable?

I like its interface. It is a simple solution. As compared to Sophos, its interface is easier. It is easy to create a policy, and you can easily understand it. 

The integration with Active Directory is one of the good features. Most of the customers are now looking for the Single Sign-on feature. So, being able to integrate Active Directory with the firewall is useful. It is also easy.

What needs improvement?

Its reporting and pricing need improvement.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using this solution for five years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

Its stability is good. It has 90% stability.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

Its scalability is good.

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

It is more expensive than Sophos. Fortinet is overall more expensive than Sophos. The small range of Fortinet, such as 60F and 80F, is more expensive than the small range of Sophos. Sophos is cheaper. In addition, if you jump from 80F Series to 100F Series, the price doubles.

What other advice do I have?

I would rate it a nine out of 10.

Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: Partner
PeerSpot user
Manager GIS at epfam
Real User
Good UI, feature-rich, and very stable
Pros and Cons
  • "Its user interface is good, and it is always working fine."
  • "Its filtering is sometimes too precise or strict. We sometimes have to bypass and authorize some of the sites, but they get blocked. We know that they are trusted sites, but they are blocked, and we don't know why."

What is most valuable?

Its user interface is good, and it is always working fine.

What needs improvement?

Its filtering is sometimes too precise or strict. We sometimes have to bypass and authorize some of the sites, but they get blocked. We know that they are trusted sites, but they are blocked, and we don't know why.

In terms of additional features, I don't have any requirements. It is okay for me. I do lots of things, and I still don't know everything about FortiGate. If I need something, it might already be there in FortiGate. 

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using this solution for one and a half years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

It is very stable. We didn't have any problems in one and a half years.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

We just have one firewall, and we are too small to have redundancy or something like that. In the future, we would like to have a second unit. We have lots of problems locally with the internet fiber. It is not very good, and ADSL is bad. So, first, we have to stabilize and upgrade our connection, and later, we will try to have redundancy, but it is not necessary at this time.

How are customer service and support?

I never contacted them.

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

When I came here, Netgate was installed. My IT department and my IT subcontractor explained to me that FortiGate was better than the previous solution. We changed it one and a half years ago, and it has been working well.

What about the implementation team?

It was an IT subcontractor who did the implementation. Our experience with them was very good.

What was our ROI?

It is too early for an ROI, but I have no problems with it. Everything is good.

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

I had to pay for the license for the firewall, but it is guaranteed to have updates. I expect a good service for it. It was about €1000 for a year, and there was no additional cost.

Which other solutions did I evaluate?

When we tried to find something better, our IT subcontractor recommended FortiGate or Stormshield. I tried to find a subcontractor at my location for both, but I could only find a subcontractor for FortiGate, so I chose FortiGate. I wanted to have a local subcontractor. There are some products for which we don't need local support, but for some of the products, such as a firewall, we prefer to have local support.

What other advice do I have?

I would advise others to find a local contractor. That's because it is a product that can do a lot of things. If you don't know it well, you can make mistakes. Because I learned how to use it, I can now modify or update it. I can do some of the things in FortiGate, but when starting with it, it is better to have someone locally to guide you and do the initial setup.

It is a good and very useful product for me. It is very stable, which is the only thing that I want from a firewall. I would rate it a nine out of 10.

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: April 2024
Buyer's Guide
Download our free Fortinet FortiGate Report and get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions.