Fortinet FortiGate Reviews

We put FortiGate Next Generation Firewall (NGFW) after the ISP; we use the internet, and before we put our server through the internet, we put FortiGate Next Generation Firewall (NGFW) as a firewall in our internal network.

We follow ISO 27001, which includes web filtering, spam, and IPS functionality.

We sometimes face challenges if we have new server configurations and need to consider compatibility with FortiGate.

We hope that FortiGate uses AI to carefully identify something abnormal, and we believe that will be helpful.

The multi-threat protection feature helps us secure our organization.

We understand that FortiGate cannot be standalone without others, such as FortiManager, so for small businesses, if FortiGate can provide something similar to FortiManager, it will be better.

I have been using FortiGate Next Generation Firewall (NGFW) for about nine years.

I would rate the stability of FortiGate Next Generation Firewall (NGFW) as a nine.

I would rate the scalability as a nine also.

I would rate the technical support as a seven.

The installation of FortiGate Next Generation Firewall (NGFW) is actually moderate; it depends on the needs, so it's not so easy but it's not so difficult.

The installation requires a couple of days, and actually, it takes about one day because some parameters need to be set, especially if there are a lot of users.

I have a person in charge of that.

From a cost perspective, I think it's quite reasonable, not so cheap, but I think it's quite similar compared to others.

Two people are involved in the maintenance.

We use many FortiGates. We are using the 60F and 100F, which are the newest versions.

Our staff handles maintenance ourselves; we are not using a third-party service.

About 30 people are using this product in our organization.

We are payroll outsourcing consultants, so basically they calculate payroll.

I would recommend FortiGate Next Generation Firewall (NGFW) to others.

I would rate FortiGate Next Generation Firewall (NGFW) in general as an eight.

On-premises

I use Fortinet FortiGate's data center solution, and I use the AI and ML-enhanced FortiGuard services within FortiGate.

The best features of Fortinet FortiGate are the integration of SD-WAN capabilities with Fortinet Unified SASE. I utilize Fortinet FortiGate's data center solution, and I use the AI and ML-enhanced FortiGuard services within FortiGate.

The ease of use related to Fortinet FortiGate and FortiNAC is a bit complex when implementing and supporting cases related to a FortiGate firewall. The software contains bugs, particularly in SSL VPN from all the firmware starting from version 7.6.3; the SSL VPN is not found in this version. If customers update the firewall firmware to 7.6.3, they might experience issues with the SSL VPN. In FortiNAC, there are issues with the passive agent on an endpoint. I currently conduct lab tests in my company to apply the FortiNAC agent on my endpoint, but I encounter issues with this application.

I have been using Fortinet FortiGate for three years and FortiNAC for one year.

I do not have information about the license costs for Fortinet FortiGate.

I have experience with Fortinet FortiGate and FortiNAC. I need to apply some labs in my company to finalize the project, so I can identify the disadvantage points to share. The interface of Fortinet FortiGate is simplified and easy to use. 

On a scale of 1-10, I rate this solution a 7.

The main use cases for Fortinet FortiGate are in the data centers, mainly for web filtering, IPS, and IDS.

The best features of Fortinet FortiGate are UTM, web filtering, and IPS. We have Palo Alto firewalls in place. The ease of integrating SD-WAN capabilities depends on the requirements of the customer.

Fortinet FortiGate is a very light product. It's easy to understand.

Fortinet should improve its software, as we are seeing lots of firmware versions generated for each vulnerability issue. It becomes difficult for us to keep updating the firmware frequently due to bugs. 

We would like to see the SSL VPN feature included again in Fortinet FortiGate since it was removed from version 7.6.3 onwards. 

For DDoS protection, there can be more features in Fortinet FortiGate.

We have been using Fortinet FortiGate for about 15 years.

It is stable.

As implementers, we find it easy to scale up.

We have about 100 people, and we are using Fortinet FortiGate 60.

I would rate Fortinet tech support a nine out of ten based on my experience.

Positive

We also work with Palo Alto firewalls. The main difference is in the software. Palo Alto's database is also updated for threat analysis. If you are installing a Palo Alto firewall for the first time, it is a bit complex, but with Fortinet FortiGate, the implementation is easiest, as the tabs are easy to understand.

I would recommend it. It is user-friendly.

I would rate Fortinet FortiGate as an eight out of ten.

On-premises

The typical use case for Fortinet FortiGate is because of the user-friendly interface.

Fortinet FortiGate's best features are the manageability part and centralized management. The community support available for Fortinet FortiGate is also a significant advantage. Fortinet FortiGate has positively impacted my organization, offering ease of management with no network disruptions; it works seamlessly.

The room for improvement for Fortinet FortiGate is related to prices; the renewal prices have to be aligned with the customer's pockets, as at times they are very aggressive, leading to the possibility of changing vendors.

I have experience of working with Fortinet FortiGate for more than 10 years.

I have faced no trouble with the stability; it works seamlessly, and the support is good, as most of the time customers themselves can resolve issues.

Fortinet FortiGate is not a scalable solution, as they give you a number and each box comes with concurrent connections; if you need to expand, you have to change the box.

I would rate technical support a seven on a scale of one to ten.

Neutral

Before Fortinet FortiGate, we used SonicWALL, Sophos, and GuardShield for our customers.

The initial setup varies from customer to customer, as we are a system integrator, having sold more than 500 plus boxes.

We have expertise in integrating SD-WAN capabilities with FortiGate, but I'm not the right person to comment on it.

The ROI after implementing Fortinet solution means that while it is there, they have now become very expensive; for example, if I buy a product for 10 lakhs INR today, after three years they will ask for 15 lakhs, which is a major concern for customers.

My advice to other organizations considering Fortinet FortiGate is to evaluate the features of other products as well, as Sophos also does a great job, but users may not adopt it due to its presence. 

On a scale from one to ten, I would rate Fortinet FortiGate overall as seven.

My main use case for this product is a firewall.

I appreciate the ease of use, ease of setup, and the different abilities it has. I have been very pleased with it over SonicWall. The interface of Fortinet FortiGate is a lot easier to use and more robust, plus their VPN option is much better; SonicWall is ridiculously slow. I have been very happy with the effectiveness of the unified SASE for providing consistent security policies across multiple locations. It has positively impacted my organization by freeing me up regarding administration; I spend a lot less time on administration. It probably saves me about 30 to 45 minutes a week.

They could continuously focus their improvements on network perimeter security, as that's what they're best at.

I have had four years of experience with Fortinet FortiGate, going on four, possibly five. I cannot remember if we switched over to them in 2020 or 2021, but I think it was 2020.

Fortinet FortiGate is very stable. I don't have any issues with Fortinet FortiGate freezing up or needing frequent restarts. The firmware updates are automatic, and I have just been really happy.

While we're a single office with a single server, I can say that it can definitely be scaled up.

I had a little help from Fortinet FortiGate support, but other than that, it was just me deploying it. I would rate their support a 10; they're fantastic. Their knowledge makes them fantastic; if they had to research something and get back to me, it was very quick, and usually I get an answer right away.

The unit itself is probably comparable in price, maybe a little more expensive than SonicWall; however, the yearly maintenance is quite a bit more, but it is more robust and worth it.

For a firewall, the initial setup was pretty straightforward for us.

I had a little help from Fortinet FortiGate support, but other than that, it was just me deploying it.

I believe all use cases could work for this solution. For us, Fortinet FortiGate is deployed on-premises. We purchased Fortinet FortiGate through a Fortinet reseller. Their knowledge makes them fantastic; if they had to research something and get back to me, it was very quick, and usually I get an answer right away.

I would rate Fortinet FortiGate an 8 or a 9 overall; everything always has room for improvement, but I'm pretty pleased with it.

On-premises

Other

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.

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

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

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