Fortinet FortiGate-VM Reviews

My main use case for Fortinet FortiGate includes deploying all Fortinet solutions, from zero to a complete deployment for infrastructure security. This includes securing the internal network infrastructure, securing the edge network for perimeter protection, and interconnecting sites through site-to-site VPN, multi-site, remote access, and SSL VPN.

Additionally, it includes the protection of DMZ servers through the most advanced UTM security profiles of Fortinet.

The use of Fortinet FortiGate helps me with site-to-site VPN and remote access. The use of Fortinet products occurs in real, professional deployment projects for the clients I work with. The specifications are based on the deployment of SD-WAN, site-to-site VPN, multi-site, hub and spoke, SSL VPN, and many other subjects for securing the infrastructure, whether it involves remote sites with small appliances or a head office site with data center or campus appliances.

For interconnecting remote sites, whether through site-to-site VPN or multi-site, the process is simple. It depends on the context and the client's specifications. For a client who has a site to interconnect, it will be a simple site-to-site deployment with IPsec VPN to allow interconnection of different sites. For a client who has several sites, I propose and deploy a hub and spoke setup with ADVPN for scalable interconnection of multiple sites.

The standout features of Fortinet FortiGate include its ease of use, intuitive interface for implementation, and simplified maintenance, administration, and daily management from deployment to monitoring. The accessible support and documentation that Fortinet makes available to all users is essential.

One of the advantages of using Fortinet is that it uses an identical FortiOS system for all Fortinet products. They all have an intuitive interface that is easy to use and learn, even for novices. They can easily integrate and adapt to use Fortinet in different use cases. In my experience with products from other providers such as Palo Alto, Cisco, and Check Point, Fortinet is the only provider to have successfully set up a unified operating system on all its products in the network security ecosystem.

Through a Fortinet FortiGate, you have the ability to manage the entire ecosystem of your network through a simple management system. The Security Fabric of FortiGate allows you to simplify management and threat response from all security equipment that can collaborate and be used together. Additionally, FortiManager accompanies this solution to unify the centralized management of all Fortinet products, using the same FortiOS system.

The use of Fortinet FortiGate in an infrastructure saves time, reduces costs, improves the security of users and resources, and prevents data leakage. When deployed properly to secure the infrastructure, there is increased productivity, improved user performance, and reduction in bandwidth consumption.

I think Fortinet FortiGate can be improved as Fortinet must address significant points of evolution. When I mention points of evolution at Fortinet, I mean they must implement simplified processes for deployment scenarios and enhance their ability to support customers, despite existing documentation and support access.

I started using Fortinet FortiGate over six years ago. In the last three years, the use of FortiGate and many other Fortinet products has become intense and regular.

In my experience, Fortinet FortiGate is not stable at all.

Fortinet FortiGate's scalability is good.

Most of the clients I support technically with their Fortinet products appreciate the service. They don't have any problems, so there is no significant negative feedback.

Before using Fortinet FortiGate, I used Cisco ASA. We switched to Fortinet because they provided much more concrete solutions, were more up-to-date, and focused on network security as their core business.

On the cloud side, purchasing Fortinet FortiGate through the AWS Marketplace is very simple to deploy and easy to set up. My experience with the configuration process in AWS has been globally simple.

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

My experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing for Fortinet FortiGate is that the licensing and hardware pricing is reasonable compared to other security solution providers. However, Fortinet must review the access to these licenses at reduced prices, and the appliance prices must be reviewed to allow access to all organizations, including small, medium, and large-sized businesses.

I would add that all of Fortinet's UTM protection solutions are solutions that respond to the current ecosystem for the protection of critical infrastructures. My advice to others looking into using Fortinet FortiGate would be that while recommendations are great, they should ask more questions. I rate Fortinet FortiGate an eight out of ten.

We're working with Fortinet FortiGate firewalls, network devices, and Wi-Fi, specifically for Wi-Fi and networking.

The best features of Fortinet FortiGate include the flexibility of hybrid cloud capabilities and the way they are structuring their multi-tenancy and for managed services, along with manageability. The services have improved data center protection at scale because we have standardized, and it's all more manageable.

Technical support would probably be an area for improvement, particularly around the extensibility of hybrid multi-cloud integration with AI. I have faced some issues with technical support, particularly with the speed of response not being so quick at times. We also want to improve the partnership program, as it is not flexible enough for global companies. The partner program's level of certification and commercial commitment is not really well-suited for global partners.

I have been using Fortinet FortiGate for many years now.

I would rate their technical support as a six.

The implementation and initial setup of Fortinet FortiGate depends on various factors and is not straightforward. The person who implements it needs to know what they are doing and should be certified on how to implement it. However, if you know what you're doing, it's more straightforward than most other products.

Fortinet provides training as part of our partner program.

I have seen a return on investment, more or less.

My experience with pricing is good; we're sorting out our global partnerships. Before I joined the company, we had a pricing problem because the partnership was not set up correctly, but now I've managed to get that sorted out and hopefully, that will resolve the issue and lead to better pricing globally.

For a firewall perspective, your next option would probably be Palo Alto or Check Point, but Fortinet has made significant improvements to go ahead in that space. I think your closest contender right now is probably Palo Alto.

I would recommend Fortinet FortiGate to most organizations. I would rate Fortinet FortiGate overall as an eight.

I primarily use it for the Nextiva SIM firewall and the website application firewall. We strive to serve our customers, including utilizing the SD-WAN feature in FortiGate in our office.

The features that are beneficial for failure mitigation and security include PPN and firewall security. The integration of multiple networks, especially in complex environments such as the finance and manufacturing industries, makes FortiGate valuable. In these industries, it can be difficult to implement and integrate several applications.

Currently, I am working on improvements. One of the main areas is the processing and integration of new features. In my opinion, refreshing the CPM technology with zero-trust access could enhance its performance.

I have used the solution mostly for maybe ten years.

The product has been very stable, based on my ten to eleven years of experience. When I propose FortiGate to customers, hardware problems have been minimal, which suggests a reliable performance.

Scalability is well-supported, with the notable ability to implement features easily. FortiGate offers robust scalability options.

I find the customer service to be good.

Positive

The initial setup typically takes three to five days.

Sometimes, questions arise about the backup position, especially regarding firewall operations. FortiGate, placed next to Nextiva SIM, excels in terms of pricing and operational efficiency. Customers can easily troubleshoot with great technical support. I would rate it nine out of ten.

I have experience in deployment for banking processes and at the perimeter of a financial institution. I have experience in configuration for PCI DSS compliance.

The best feature of Fortinet FortiGate-VM is the deployment. I applied best practices for deployment with Fortinet FortiGate-VM. By the VPN connection into the site, on-premise and cloud or hybrid for segmentation of level of security, the perimeter and inside zone.

It's very robust. It's a solution that is very complete with accessible support. The feature for deep inspection (DPI) for Fortinet FortiGate-VM is used for generating alerts or to automate threat response.

Licensing could be easier to understand.

I have been using Fortinet FortiGate-VM for around six years and Cisco for around 10 years.

The support deserves a rating of ten out of ten.

Positive

I have also worked with Cisco firewalls. The main differences between FortiNet and Cisco include the price, which is very different. The variant of Cisco ASA, Cisco Firepower, is more difficult for configuration. Firepower is more complicated. Fortinet FortiNet is easier to deploy and also less expensive.

I find that the initial setup of Fortinet FortiGate-VM is easy. Of course, I am very experienced in the area of telecom, and this setup and configuration is friendly. I see that other people find Fortinet FortiGate-VM to be user-friendly. The setup and learning curve is short.

I would rate Fortinet FortiGate-VM a 10 out of 10. It is very good.

We use Fortinet FortiGate-VM as an edge firewall for Internet traffic control and as the main firewall for cloud environments. Whether they're on AWS, Alibaba Cloud, or another platform, FortiGate-VM serves as the primary firewall.

One notable feature is the SD-WAN, which is a strong component of the FortiGate-VM. The fabric feature is also good, but not all customers use FortiGate's networking components, such as the switches. We enable various protection features on FortiGate, such as IPS and web application security. Most customers utilize these protection features to enhance their security.

Integrating multi-factor authentication with FortiGate-VM can be challenging. While multi-factor authentication is important, not all customers have it enabled. Integration with third-party solutions like ManageEngine or Duo can be complex and sometimes problematic during testing. However, high availability works smoothly with FortiGate-VM. We use high availability, and SD-WAN features effectively; overall, the performance is good.

I have been using Fortinet FortiGate-VM as a reseller for eight years.

The stability is good.

I rate the solution’s stability a nine out of ten.

We implemented it for more than one thousand users.

I rate the solution’s scalability a ten out of ten.

Support from the engineering team has some weaknesses. Sometimes, they focus on closing tickets quickly or asking for logs without thoroughly addressing the issue. However, the support team includes knowledgeable and responsive individuals, especially those from non-Arabic backgrounds. 

Positive

Setting up FortiGate-VM is straightforward, but there is a step that can be a bit tricky. After installing the VM, you need to log into the CLI for the first time to set a static IP address if you have multiple interfaces. By default, interfaces will receive IP addresses via DHCP from the cloud service provider. You must disable DHCP on the additional interfaces and set static IPs to ensure proper access and configuration. You may have trouble accessing the firewall if you don't do this.

Issues with certificates and licenses often arise from the distributor, not Fortinet.

The setup process is generally easy. FortiGate is becoming popular in Saudi Arabia due to its user-friendly interface and ease of configuration compared to other vendors like Palo Alto. High availability setup is also simple and not overly complicated.

When comparing Fortinet to other vendors in Saudi Arabia, like Palo Alto, Fortinet stands out positively. In comparison to Sophos, many customers are currently switching to Fortinet. Fortinet's pricing is competitive, making it an attractive option.

To block HTTPS management traffic from the WAN, you must carefully manage the HTTPS settings. If HTTPS is not enabled on the WAN interface, you won't be able to block management traffic effectively. Some customers require HTTPS because of NAT services and use public IPs. Disabling HTTPS can disrupt management access. Better controls for managing the interface from the WAN side would be helpful.

Fortinet FortiGate is easier to configure and manage compared to Palo Alto. Setting up policies, routing, and VPN tunnels on FortiGate is more straightforward and faster. Palo Alto can be complex, requiring multiple steps to create a policy and manage interfaces.

FortiGate also excels in troubleshooting and logging. The logs are easier to read and provide better classification, making it simpler to troubleshoot issues. In contrast, Sophos is less effective for larger-scale operations and doesn’t match Fortinet’s capabilities. 

In cloud environments, we recommend FortiGate-VM because it integrates well with cloud service providers. On-premises, many customers prefer physical FortiGate hardware, particularly with VMware setups. However, FortiGate-VM is more commonly used for service providers like SCC, Alibaba, and AWS.

Overall, I rate the solution a ten out of ten.

My company had once deployed multiple firewalls and switches in an organization.

My company uses the firewall capabilities of the product for L1, L2, and L3 switches, along with FortiClient VPN.

My company mostly deals with an organization that works with on-premises software. My company uses the tool to block the traffic from the outside area that may reach our infrastructure or network. My company uses the product as a firewall to create a blockage for outside traffic.

The most likable feature of the firewall functionalities stemmed from the fact that it did not allow anyone from outside the organization to have any kind of access to the company's information, and it ensured that it blocked outside traffic.

The product's setup is quite complex, making it an area where improvements are required.

I have experience with Fortinet FortiGate-VM for four to five years.

Stability-wise, I rate the solution an eight out of ten.

My company is involved in research and development activities, and some of our employees or teams are constantly involved in research or development, owing to which some product features are not implemented in our organization. In general, the product is not used to its 100 percent potential.

Scalability-wise, I rate the solution a ten out of ten.

I have experience with Palo Alto Networks.

The product's initial setup phase is a bit complex.

The solution is deployed on an on-premises model.

The solution can be deployed in three working days.

The deployment process can be carried out with the help of our company's in-house team.

Though I cannot give any numbers, I can say that the product's ROI is good. The tool is able to give good returns considering the amount of money that my company invested in the product for our infrastructure.

I rate the tool's benefits a nine out of ten since the product always helps to maintain security and safety in our company.

There is a need to make payments towards the licensing costs attached to the solution.

The tool improved the security in our company's virtualized environment, as it was helpful in creating an additional layer of security for the organization and for the use of the internet. The tool was the most important product to be implemented in the organization.

To be able for our organization to build our services, we need to operate inside a certain network while ensuring that the outside traffic gets blocked by using the firewall services from the tool, as it helps to create a secure network inside our company. Without the tool in our organization, our network would have been compromised. The aforementioned area consists of details related to how the tool helps with the workload protection aspect.

I recommend the solution to others who plan to use it since it helps in areas where it helps block a particular website with the help of the firewall functionalities that it possesses. The tool also helps block outside traffic, and it is mandatory to implement a firewall as an organization grows for the smooth operations of business.

I rate the tool a ten out of ten.

Fortinet FortiGate-VM is used for the firewall. Some clients would like to go for the solution because of pricing. They feel they can run it on their own hardware, cut down costs, and manage it.

I can vouch for the security aspect of Fortinet FortiGate-VM. It's a value-for-money appliance. Fortinet has always been our number one firewall appliance regarding recommendations to customers. The solution is very secure, and its technical support is on point.

I like Fortinet FortiGate-VM for tutorial purposes. You can set up the solution on your personal computer for apps and teaching.

Fortinet FortiGate-VM should improve its asset identification, wherein the device can identify assets on the network, like computers. We should be able to identify a device and the user account used to log on to that device.

I have been using Fortinet FortiGate-VM for more than five to six years.

Since it is a VM, the solution runs on a client-provided host machine. Most of the time, the host machine gives issues that affect the VM.

I rate the solution a five out of ten for stability.

Around 20 users are using Fortinet FortiGate-VM in our organization.

I rate the solution an eight out of ten for scalability.

The solution's technical support is responsive, but the only issue is you need to be specific with your problem. If you are not specific with your problem, it will take longer to resolve the issue because of time zone differences. All the engineers would like to know exactly the problem before they offer solutions.

Positive

We previously worked with pfSense. We switched to Fortinet FortiGate-VM because pfSense was giving us issues.

Fortinet FortiGate-VM is easy to implement, provided you know your network architecture and the basics.

On a scale from one to ten, where one is complex and ten is easy, I rate the solution's initial setup a nine out of ten.

The solution can be deployed in less than ten minutes.

Fortinet FortiGate-VM is a very expensive solution. It's a value-for-money appliance. You don't have every client going in for the solution unless there are some specific points.

You need to know exactly what you need at the point of purchase. That will guide you in purchasing the required license. If you miss and purchase the wrong license, you can wait and purchase another license during renewal. You can also negotiate with Fortinet to have your license changed to get the feature you want.

On a scale from one to ten, where one is expensive and ten is cheap, I rate the solution's pricing a three out of ten.

We used to troubleshoot for Fortinet FortiGate-VM, but now the new firmware doesn't really give issues. We do maintain the solution by checking on devices and updating the firmware. We have seven engineers in our technical team to deploy and maintain the solution.

I would not recommend Fortinet FortiGate-VM to other users because most users don't have the infrastructure. They will tell you they want to cut down costs. You get them the solution, and at the end of the day, as a technical person, you will be bothered by the solution.

Regarding the upgrade, the only time we've had an issue is when the customer gave the wrong information. The utilization exceeded what they actually needed. Aside from that, Fortinet FortiGate-VM is a good appliance for us.

Overall, I rate the solution an eight out of ten.

All firewalls, including Fortinet FortiGate-VM, provide similar features under the sync capability. The differences between them are minimal, with FortiGate-VM offering simplicity in use. It covers aspects such as intrusion prevention, web filtering, application control, routing, virtual domains, policy-based routing, and SSL.

For our customer, this product holds paramount importance. It is critical for them as we collaborate with government agencies, financial institutions, and oil and gas companies. Inspecting and controlling traffic, especially pertaining to credit cards, is crucial for their operations.

GitDM, like FortiGate VM, provides similar features to FortiGate appliances or cloud solutions. However, FortiGate VM is more suitable for heavy traffic and inspection compared to GitDM. Unfortunately, FortiGate VM lacks a dedicated SPU for inspection, and all features rely on CPU and RAM.

I don't have any specific improvements to suggest, but perhaps the pricing could be enhanced. Regarding updates, more frequent updates would be appreciated. FortiGate-VM is currently focused on providing very good firmware updates, automation, and top-notch features. It stands as a great product for now.

Based on our needs and the vulnerabilities we've encountered due to various downloads, I suggest integrating with Kaspersky Gateway. This integration would involve scanning and inspecting both official emails and spam emails. Our customer has successfully worked with Kaspersky Gateway, and overall, the integration has been effective.

I have been working with Fortinet FortiGate-VM for 3 years.

In conjunction with the switch and based on the sizing, it indicates a suitable box or VM for the customer. If the level of mailbox is low, the stability will be good, and the box will not be in conserve mode. Regarding impressions of scalability, I would rate it eight out of ten.

The support team is excellent, providing assistance and resolving issues effectively.

The setup is straightforward for me, but our customers might find it a bit challenging. Overall, following the provided steps and consulting the official materials or documentation makes the FortiGate-VM setup relatively easy.Firstly, we establish a console connection to the firewall and access its default IP. In the second step, we create rules to enable the firewall to access the internet. Following these two steps, we register a rule with Fortinet Broadcom, download the necessary licenses, and upload them. After uploading the license, we set up an interface rule, check the license, and configure interfaces such as LAN, WAN, and VPN. Subsequently, we create profiles, including web filter, application, antivirus, and IPS profiles. The last steps involve configuring interfaces like LAN, WAN, and VPN, as well as attaching profiles to outbound policies. We also consider additional configurations, like server publishing, destination netting, or integrating with PBM for Alibaba Cloud. The final three configurations are optional and depend on the customer's requirements.

We can tailor the suitable license for the customer, whether they require UTB or enterprise features. The options are flexible based on their needs.

I would recommend Fortinet for large-scale companies and Sophos for medium or small enterprises. I would rate it 8 out of 10.

We use FortiGate-VM as a firewall. My company has more than 4,000 users, and we plan to increase usage. 

I like FortiGate's IPS, IDS, and URL filtering. 

I think Fortinet should provide us with more reporting from the AI/ML point of view. They could also offer the SaaS application in a single box. The VPN and ZTNA have so many verticals that they work as a standalone solution. They need to be in a single box.

I have worked with FortiGate-VM for the last three years.

I rate FortiGate-VM eight out of 10 for stability. 

From a scalability point of view, we have a physical user license. If we need to upgrade, we can get a box. There is presently sufficient formal organization to scale up.

I have no problems with Fortinet support.

Positive

We have used Check Point and Palo Alto firewalls. 

We deployed FortiGate-VM with the help of a partner and the vendor. The deployment process took three months. We previously used Cisco ASA and had no migration tool, so we had to start from scratch. 

FortiGate-VM is affordable. In terms of operating costs, we contract with the OEM for a three-year contract and then renew. We haven't received any notice from them because all of our infrastructure is under contract. Every three years, if we cannot get a good price from the vendor, we replace the box.

I rate Fortinet FortiGate-VM eight out of 10. It has all the features. The only recommendation is to combine the vertical into a single box. To improve performance, they should build an engine in the box that enables them to scale per the user requirement. 

I use the solution in my company for the data center's server protection to segregate the data center VLANs and the other VLANs used in the production, testing, and development phases, including the areas consisting of DMZ and VLAN. We are using Fortinet FortiGate-VM as a software-based tool and as a firewall for our data center.

It filters out the unnecessary connectivity that I would probably expect to be connected from the end user site or from external to the data center site. It is also used to filter unauthorized access to sites and to mitigate risks if, in cases, because of the asset policy, the remote desktop connectivity or remote connectivity is not allowed to restrict something. It is used to deal with phishing or something that may not pass through the network. The tool serves as an industrial firewall so that we can use it as a filter more efficiently.

The security offered by the tool has certain shortcomings, making it in area where improvements are required. Security, by nature, is very dynamic, and continuous improvement is required. Every time, the policy and the configuration need to be checked in that aspect now, so in that aspect, it needs some improvement, especially when it comes to some filtering mechanisms, and protocols.

I have been using Fortinet FortiGate-VM for more than three years.

In terms of stability, it is stable. Stability-wise, I rate the solution an eight out of ten.

It is scalable because it is a virtual appliance. You can probably scale it up more.

Fortinet FortiGate-VM is a security solution, so users are not expected to access it. It is actually required to protect the network and the environment, so there is no need for actual user access for the solution.

The product's initial setup phase requires some special expertise. The initial setup phase might not be complex, but it requires experts since it is a security solution.

If there is an expertise that is actually doing the implementation or deployment, then it is a straightforward process.

The solution requires a license. The tool is neither expensive nor cheap, so it is okay.

The product's implementation does affect our compliance with industry regulations, and it is one of the reasons why we prefer using Fortinet FortiGate-VM.

My suggestion to other people related to the tool depends on their requirements because there are other different solutions in terms of cost, efficiency, security, reliability, and security. Depending on the requirements, the tool is recommendable. Fortinet is one of the top security solutions in the market. Anybody can choose from multiple tools in the market, including Palo Alto products and other solutions. Fortinet is usually recommended to others.

I think that Fortinet FortiGate-VM has some solutions that offer AI features. For our use case, we don't actually use the AI functionalities since we want to control everything. In my company, we are the ones who are actually dealing with the product and are just not supported by AI.

I rate the tool a seven out of ten.