Fortinet FortiNAC Reviews

We use this solution for network access control to ensure that access into our environment, especially our endpoints, is controlled. We have 23 sites in different geographic locations, so we want to make sure that a person can't just sneak into a branch, plug in a device, and connect to the network.

We also want to reduce the risk of connecting endpoints that have vulnerabilities, for an added layer of protection. If you're missing patches of security, you basically have no firewall because those are potential entry points for attackers. We want to control and manage them from a central point so that, if there are any potentially hazardous connections, we are able to block the user but also remediate in the case of Microsoft updates or if updates are missing on their PC.

It's a very good solution and one thing I have noted is its simplicity and the ease of the set-up process. Of course, we worked with experts from Fortinet who helped us set it up, but if you look at how easy it is to follow the instructions, like the simplicity of the UI, it's like a daily language. If I want to block an access and I think it should flow a certain way, I can do it that way easily. In other solutions, like maybe Cisco ISE for example, I think you need to be a bit more technical to really understand what you are doing.

I hope that Fortinet can add a feature with a remediation mechanism when you find a broken piece so that you can click on something and download the needed update or resolve the firewall issue more easily. Currently, we have to use an external remediation server to download updates. For example, the Kaspersky antivirus was originally built just for threat detection and prevention. Still, they've gone to another level where the solution can point to a vulnerability, and you can click a button to remediate it, and the solution goes and pulls the download and fixes it.

I have been using this solution for three to four months.

So far, from what I have seen, it is a stable solution.

The solution is scalable. When we expand our network, we expand the solution.

Their remote support is great. Plus, there's the fact that they have 24/7 support services, so if we need anything, we're able to get the support that we need.

The initial setup was okay because we had help from the Fortinet experts. It was a new application for us, so obviously, there was lots of learning involved. However, we were able to explain what things needed to happen, and they were able to actually show us, "Okay. That one, we do like this. This one, we can do like that." Also, we had some additional things that weren't included in our environment, and the support engineers were able to provide those solutions for us. We continue to buy more solutions from them that work with what we have procured already, including firewalls, radio servers, and a variety of plug-ins.

We had help from the Fortinet team and we deployed in about two to four weeks. We had a time zone issue because I'm located in Zambia and we needed to be available on this side for them to set up the solution, so we set up Teams meetings to work together online. Also, they offered training to us so that we could get certified to manage the product ourselves.

It's a pricey solution. I don't know if it's maybe because the local partner overcharges me, but when I was researching other solutions, Cisco ISE is cheaper. My current license is about $60,000 to $70,000 thousand, while the equivalent through Cisco would be around $15,000.

It is a brilliant solution. My advice to those looking into the product would be to ensure that you get trained on how to use the solution so that you can fully appreciate and understand how to effectively implement and manage it. Then, secondly, you should do your research on the price. I don't know what the pricing is like from Fortinet, but we are not allowed to deal directly with them so we had to go through a distributor, which increased the price. Sometimes, if there is only one distributor in an area, you can get exploited.

On the technical side, I would rate this solution as a ten out of ten, but I'm not happy with the price, so as a whole, I would rate it as an eight out of ten.

We are primarily using Fortinet FortiNAC for network security, and it is used by more than fifty end-users in our organization.

Fortinet helps reduce after-sales support needs because the failure rates are very low. This leads to better efficiency as ninety percent of our technology is up and running without any issues.

The solution offers good features like IPS and DLP. These are effective in improving network security.

Support requires improvement as it has declined over time. There are also issues with pricing, as costs are being increased. Moreover, there are problems with the GUI when doing subnetting of IP addresses, and the spam filtering is not effective.

I have been working with Fortinet for more than 18 years.

The product is very stable. My rating for stability is nine out of ten.

After about four years, a hardware upgrade to a higher device model is required. My scalability rating is eight.

The first-level support is not up to the mark. The response time has increased, and the lower tiers sometimes have difficulty understanding our issues.

Neutral

The initial setup with basic features takes a few hours. However, a full setup, including security, can take almost a day.

We have a team for implementation. I am the CTO and am involved in designing and handling security aspects.

The solution provides a financial benefit as the support required after sales is minimal.

While not extremely expensive, Fortinet's pricing is increasing, becoming less affordable over time.

We provide and work with multiple product lines, including security, backup, and DR solutions. We work across different product lines depending on client budget.

I would recommend FortiNAC to other users.

I'd rate the solution nine out of ten.

Our customers use Fortinet to protect their networks and administer their users. It is mainly used in the healthcare industry.

The platform's benefits vary according to each customer's preferences and budget. It generally fits within their budget, making it a viable option.

The initial setup process needs improvement. I suggest improving the support team's responsiveness to reduce delays when issues arise.

I have been working with Fortinet for approximately five years, primarily as an integrator.

The solution is generally stable. However, some bugs need to be addressed with updates. I rate the stability an eight. 

Our customers are enterprise institutions. I rate the product scalability as nine. 

I rate the initial setup process an eight. 

The product cost is moderate. I rate the pricing a seven. 

The product's feature for access control is a key component providing effectiveness in securing the network. It integrates well with other security solutions, with fewer challenges than other products.

I recommend it as it is a good product, easy to install, and integrates well. I rate it a nine out of ten. 

The primary use case for this solution is to enhance network security within our organization. We utilize it in various environments, adapting to customer networks which sometimes require setting up power and routing due to multiple lines.

The solution has significantly reduced our operational costs related to network security and has streamlined network security management.

The most valuable features include DNS protection and web filtering, which are effective against hackers and ransomware. Although ransomware remains challenging to identify, these features enhance our overall security.

The product's pricing and configuration process needs improvement. 

I have been using Fortinet FortiNAC since 2010. 

I would rate the stability of this solution as a nine out of ten.

I would rate the product scalability as an eight out of ten.

The customer service and support are excellent.

Positive

We have used different solutions before.

The initial setup was straightforward, with no significant problems. The duration of the installation varied based on the complexity of the customer's network.

I implemented the product myself. 

The product pricing is reasonable.

We evaluated other options, including Cisco.

I rate Fortinet FortiNAC a nine out of ten. 

There are some features that are working well.

Technical support tries to be helpful, however, they just don't understand the technology.

We have tried to do a small POC and it failed. 

I had a bad experience with FortiNAC. The customer was asking for a NAC solution. I suggested FortiNAC. The switch with the customer was Cisco and it was not integrated with Cisco. We tried to provide him with a FortiSwitch as the core switch and the solution worked. It's working, however, not the expected way for the customer. The issue is it just doesn't integrate with Cisco switches. 

They need to change or upgrade the technology in the product.

The solution is not stable.

We have not been able to scale the product.

It's very hard to set up.

The solution is not stable. We've had some issues with the performance. It hasn't gone well. 

The product does not scale. 

The technical support is not the greatest. Some of the people need more training in the product. They aren't very helpful. 

The technical team from Fortinet, they are working with us. They have supported us. However, the problem is they don't have the knowledge on this product. This is the problem. The support team is good and is the best support team in all the products I work on it. However, the problem is they don't have knowledge about the FortiNAC. 

Neutral

It's not easy to set up. In terms of the ease of setup, I'd rate it at a one out of five. It's very difficult. 

I'd rate the pricing at a three out of five. It was not expensive, however, it is also not cheap. 

I've also looked at HP and compared the two solutions. HP is less expensive, however, it's not a huge difference. We're talking maybe a 1% to 2% difference in price if you compare them. A customer will pay more for HP if they do a POC. 

We are a partner and reseller of Fortinet solutions.

We did not have good luck with this product. It didn't work for my client. Maybe it works in other setups better, however, for us, it just was a disaster. 

I'd rate the product at a three out of ten.

I was a distributor and system integrator of FortiNAC. We were opening a lot of tickets and there were lots of bugs, so I replaced it with Forescout very easily. Within two days, I replaced everything. With FortiNAC, I was just doing the implementation, making things work properly, and beginning testing after five days.

FortiNAC is deployed on-prem. They're not major enough to be on cloud. Even on-prem is not doing good.

Version 9.1 has been an improvement on previous versions. It's a good solution for SMB.

Any NAC solution has three to four phases. The first phase is discovery and classification. They do discovery, but they are lacking a lot of features in terms of classification. Also, they don't do a lot of classifications. They cannot help you if, for example, you're classifying Windows, and you want to check which Windows version it is, like Windows 7, Windows 8, Windows 10. It's a little bit difficult. It's not easy like the other products. 

Classifications and visibility need to be improved a lot. They have to start work on being agentless. Agentless means they need to have strong integration with Windows. They need to use the RTC. They cannot force people to have an agent for people who are going to the domain. There needs to be compatibility with switches. For any NAC solution, all the inputs will be through switches. So if it is not compatible with switches, this is a big disaster. When I was doing their switches, there were a lot of customers whose switches were not compatible with FortiNAC.

If these things are well-designed, then they can compete in the NAC market. And also in terms of IOT, they cannot discover the IOT things perfectly or the OT, operation technology, things.

In terms of HA, they're having a lot of problems. You just need to put the HA between two clients, and you have a lot of problems. There are problems with the classifications. In terms of control, they're not doing well. They cannot do integration with SCCM, for example. They have a lot of things missing.

I started using FortiNAC since Fortinet bought it in 2018. They bought it with Bradford, and I was one of the few people in Saudi who knows FortiNAC. I have known FortiNAC since it was 7.2, and there were a lot of bugs. Even now, 8 has a lot of bugs.

Now they have jumped to 9.1 and 9.2. I used version 9.1.2. They just changed the dashboard, but it's still agent based. I deeply know what FortiNAC is doing, and it's not doing good. I used to work with them, and then I left. Now, I'm purely working with Forescout technology.

It's not a stable solution. If you want to do the HA, suddenly both appliances will be gone. Both FortiNAC and Forescout are being built on CentOS Linux. Doing HA with FortiNAC, which should be very simple, is just a disaster. I know three customers who are complaining.

I have switched to Forescout because in regards to technology, application, visibility, and control, Forescout is unbelievable. Forescout is a great platform for OT things.

I would rate this solution 5 out of 10. 

It's a difficult solution. I used to be the FortiNAC guy, so I will be tough on them. In Saudi, I was the number three FortiNAC guy.

I can recommend FortiNAC for SMBs: small and medium businesses, but they will still suffer. I would recommend Forescout more.

We use Fortinet FortiNAC to control user access and enforce system policies.

Fortinet FortiNAC helps add an extra layer of security.

The ease of deployment is valuable.

Fortinet FortiNAC's device compatibility could be improved, particularly for VoIP devices.

I have been using Fortinet FortiNAC for two years.

We have experienced stability issues, particularly with the latest firmware versions. The extended development cycle for these updates makes us hesitant to adopt new products immediately upon their release.

I would rate the stability of Fortinet FortiNAC a seven out of ten.

Fortinet FortiNAC is scalable.

When I compare the support of Fortinet to Cisco, I find it to be good but not as good as Cisco's.

Neutral

We previously used Cisco ISE and switched to Fortinet FortiNAC because the users found it more user-friendly and it was cheaper.

The deployment is straightforward and takes around 60 days to complete.

Fortinet FortiNAC is reasonably priced.

I would rate Fortinet FortiNAC a seven out of ten.

We use the tool to ensure that we have network access. It also helps us avoid stranger devices getting into the LAN or Wi-Fi. 

The tool provides us with a list of devices that tries to connect to our network. It offers us a lot of network visibility.

The solution's licensing price should be improved. 

I have been using the product for three years. 

I would rate Fortinet FortiNAC's stability a ten out of ten. 

I would rate the product's scalability a ten out of ten. 

Fortinet FortiNAC's setup is straightforward. 

We have seen ROI with the tool's use and it is high. 

I would rate the product an eight out of ten.