2021-09-29T08:53:00Z
NC
Content Manager at PeerSpot (formerly IT Central Station)
  • 4
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Which is better - Fortinet FortiGate or Cisco ASA Firewall?

And why?

4
PeerSpot user
4 Answers
User
Top 5
2021-11-16T11:28:31Z
Nov 16, 2021

One of our favorite things about Fortinet Fortigate is that you can deploy on the cloud or on premises. Fortinet Fortigate is very stable, reliable, and consistent. We like that we can manage the entire network from one interface; there is no going back and forth as some other solutions force you to do. Fortinet Fortigate firewalls have access point controller functionality built right into the system; there is no need for additional devices. This solution offers great built-in features for web filtering, and the VPN is an extremely valuable feature.


The reporting with Fortinet Fortigate needs some degree of customization so that more usable reports can be created. If you want extra features, you need to buy extra licenses, which can get expensive quickly. We wish we could get more with the general license. We would also like to see better cloud management.


It is easy to integrate Cisco ASA with other Cisco products and also other NAC solutions. When you understand the Cisco ecosystem, it is very simple to handle. This solution has traffic inspection and the Firepower engine, which provides good application visibility and control. Cisco ASA gives you full details, traffic monitoring, and threat monitoring. The solution has very solid encryption and multi-factor authentication. It is a great option to enable seamless work-from-home options.


The front-end configuration with Cisco ASA can be tough, though - there are too many steps in this process. It would also be better if there was a clear view of the integrations and the easiest way to complete them. In inexperienced hands, the Cisco ASA interface can be pretty daunting. An improved GUI would make this product much more user-friendly and competitive with other products. This solution can also be very expensive.


Conclusion


We chose Fortinet Fortigate. It is a better fit for us. We have clients that still have many team members working remotely and the VPN that Fortinet Fortigate provides is extremely valuable. The antivirus and the IPS intrusion prevention help add to the overall reliability and stability of Fortinet Fortigate.

Product comparison that may be of interest to you
NM
Technology Services Director at a tech services company with 11-50 employees
Reseller
2021-11-11T14:20:11Z
Nov 11, 2021

Better is very subjective. If you want a firewall that your Cisco-trained engineers can integrate with your Cisco routers and Cisco switches and that supports Cisco proprietary protocols, or you need a firewall that runs at terabit speeds and integrates with FortiSwitch, I bet you know the answer.  


Headline, Fortigates are fixed-port appliances, with really good hardware acceleration and a big security integration fabric. 


Cisco ASA (and now Firepower) can be modular, where you choose the ports you need, but tend to cost more for the same amount of throughput and tend not to have as much integration with other parts of the security world.  


There is a lot more to say but pick the things that are important to you. 

fdiazm - PeerSpot reviewer
Product Manager at Entel Chile
Real User
Top 5
2021-10-25T18:28:28Z
Oct 25, 2021

I think they are for two different businesses with different digital strategies as well.

On the one hand, we have the option of consolidating everything in a single box and on the other, putting together a solution with parts and pieces that are more robust but also more complex.

And don't forget the look of the technology departments where an option clearly requires less expert level to exploit the acquired infrastructure. This is where the concept of Service appears, which in my understanding has already had to evolve from the traditional times of responses and product catalogs.

SU
Manager - Projects & Programs at BhaktiVedanta Hospital
Real User
2021-11-10T09:12:37Z
Nov 10, 2021

CISCO ASA is a great product, easy trouble shooting on Cmd line and GUI interface,best Cisco Support 

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Related Questions
WX
Software Engineer at Neusoft
Mar 30, 2023
Hi, I am a software engineer for a large IT services and consulting company.  Is the SD-WAN feature in FortiGate suitable for small business applications? Thank you for your help!
2 out of 3 answers
SS
User at Rank IT
Mar 28, 2023
Hi, Yes it's suitable for small business applications. We have implemented it for one of our clients. 
Saad Qaiser - PeerSpot reviewer
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Yes, you can implement it and it is very effective for SMB organizations.
reviewer2123919 - PeerSpot reviewer
Network and Security Engineer at Digital Network Solution (DNS)
Mar 30, 2023
Hello community,  I am a Network and Security Engineer at a small tech consulting company. I am about to import the backup configuration file of my hardware-based FortiGate firewall onto my VM-based FortiGate firewall.  Can you please assist me with the procedure? Thank you for your help.
See 2 answers
SS
User at Rank IT
Mar 28, 2023
Hi, I had the same issue to restore back from 80E to 80F. I couldn't restore it and had to use a Forti convertor.
Gulzar C - PeerSpot reviewer
Senior IT Consultant at Gateway information networks
Mar 30, 2023
To import hardware from the FortiGate firewall backup configuration file to the FortiGate-VM firewall, you can follow these steps: Export the backup configuration file from the FortiGate firewall. You can do this by navigating to System > Dashboard > Status and selecting the Download button under the Configuration section. Save the backup configuration file to your computer. Log in to the FortiGate-VM firewall and navigate to System > Maintenance > Backup & Restore. Select the Import button to upload the backup configuration file. In the Import Configuration dialog box, select the file type as "Full Configuration." Browse and select the backup configuration file that you saved on your computer. Select the Import button to start the import process. Wait for the import process to complete. This may take a few minutes. Once the import process is complete, the FortiGate-VM firewall will reboot to apply the new configuration. After the FortiGate-VM firewall has rebooted, you can verify that the hardware configuration has been imported by navigating to System > Dashboard > Status and checking the system information. It's important to note that the hardware configuration of the FortiGate firewall may not match the hardware configuration of the FortiGate-VM firewall. You may need to make manual adjustments to the configuration to ensure compatibility with the FortiGate-VM hardware. It's recommended to consult the Fortinet documentation or contact Fortinet support for assistance with this process.
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