Fortinet FortiGate Next-Generation Firewall

My main use case for Fortinet FortiGate  is content filtering, and content filtering is the primary function. I am also doing East and West traffic filtering.

I use content filtering and East-West traffic filtering by creating groups based on separate projects in Active Directory, and on the firewall side, I create policies, web application profiles, and category-based profiles tailored to each project's requirements.

We have separate projects, and I isolate those subnets from one subnet to another so that both subnets do not communicate directly and only communicate via Fortinet FortiGate  itself, with policies created to manage the East and West traffic.

Some of the best features of Fortinet FortiGate are its ease of use compared to other vendors, and from a troubleshooting point of view, it is also very useful and easy to troubleshoot. It stands out as easy to use and troubleshoot because I do not need to create separate NAT policies; with Fortinet FortiGate, I align my NAT policies and content filtering within a single policy, making management straightforward, and the logs are clearly visible, making troubleshooting much easier.

Compared to other firewalls, Fortinet FortiGate offers easily manageable features such as vulnerability profiles and threat profiles, which I believe is one of its main advantages.

Fortinet FortiGate has positively impacted my organization with its cost-effectiveness because it provides features that are very similar to others, but at a much lower cost, and everything my organization needs is available with Fortinet FortiGate.

Being cost-effective has allowed us to save a lot of money, which is particularly useful since I was exploring firewalls to secure my internal labs, and finding Fortinet FortiGate was a revelation as I could achieve my requirements without the additional costs of other firewalls.

I wish Fortinet would explore SASE  solutions more, as it has become very popular and people are increasingly using it.

I have been using Fortinet FortiGate for around the last seven years.

Fortinet FortiGate is stable, and I have never experienced issues similar to those from the ASA .

Fortinet FortiGate's scalability is very good, and I believe there are no issues.

I have faced challenges related to support, as I have encountered issues where support engineers are not aligned within the time frame, and sometimes they request multiple logs unnecessarily, causing delays and leaving a bad impression on my end users.

I have had a bad experience with customer support many times.

I previously used a Cisco ASA  but switched due to certain performance-related issues.

My experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing went smoothly, with no issues related to licensing or installation, and the overall cost is definitely cheaper than other prominent firewalls along with phenomenal features.

I do not have a business relationship with the vendor other than being a customer, but I do have partners to buy network equipment such as firewalls and switches.

I cannot share exact numbers for ROI, but I saved a lot of money, which made management very happy, especially knowing that I achieved my functional goals with Fortinet FortiGate that might have incurred more costs with other firewalls.

Fortinet FortiGate has positively impacted my organization with its cost-effectiveness because it provides features that are very similar to others, but at a much lower cost, and everything my organization needs is available with Fortinet FortiGate.

My experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing went smoothly, with no issues related to licensing or installation, and the overall cost is definitely cheaper than other prominent firewalls along with phenomenal features.

I evaluated options including Palo Alto, Cisco, and other products before choosing Fortinet FortiGate.

I would rate Fortinet FortiGate a nine overall, as I only deduct one point for the support issues I have experienced.

I selected nine because, feature-wise, the product is excellent and cost-effective compared to others, but I deducted a point due to the disappointing support from Fortinet.

I advise others looking into using Fortinet FortiGate to check their requirements first, as it provides all kinds of services other firewalls do and is very cost-effective.

People looking for a firewall should definitely evaluate Fortinet FortiGate, as it is very cost-effective and offers all the features they are likely looking for. I gave this review a rating of nine out of ten.

I have been using Fortinet FortiGate  for the last two years, specifically models like 60F and 200F.

My main use case for Fortinet FortiGate  involves using models like 60F, 100F, and 200F, while not utilizing models 48, 49, and 50F.

In day-to-day operations for tickets, Fortinet FortiGate is much more than just a basic firewall; it functions as full unified threat management. I use it to configure security policy, layer 2, layer 7, SNAT, DNAT, zone-based and policy-based routing, complete series management, and VPN management, including IPsec. I have multiple branches, so I create IP site-to-site tunnels, and some users require remote access VPN.

The best features Fortinet FortiGate offers include secure SD-WAN, intelligent ISP selection, and load balancing with application awareness.

These features have made a significant difference for my organization by improving day-to-day user experience and business continuity. At SD-WAN load balancing, we experience the real impact. Fortinet FortiGate distributes traffic across multiple ISPs using load balancing, link health checks, and application awareness. Before implementing SD-WAN, when one ISP became slow, the internet performance suffered or failover was manual and delayed, leading to user complaints about slow internet. After SD-WAN completion, traffic automatically shifts to the best performing link, with critical application-to-application traffic using the lower latency path and backup link. If the primary link fails, it switches immediately to the secondary link with no business impact or losses. ISP issues are now better handled for the applications.

Regarding additional features, they do not always get highlighted by big vendors, but in real deployment, the all-in-one simple operation advantage is evident. Instead of a separate firewall, a separate SD-WAN, and separate devices, this firewall provides all capabilities in a single appliance, with all abilities available on one device.

Fortinet FortiGate has positively impacted my organization in three major areas: security, efficiency, and cost. Security has become stronger with fewer malware and phishing incidents, IPS blocking attacks in real time, and web filtering that stops risky user behavior. The real impact is in blocking users from clicking malicious links, shifting from firefighting by the IT team to threat blocking at the firewall level, resulting in minimal endpoint infection and lower security incidents, reduced downtime, and a better overall security posture. Operation efficiency has improved due to centralized control policy, VPN logging, SD-WAN automation failover, load balancing, and faster troubleshooting through visibility tools, replacing manual ISP failover and time-consuming debugging with automated traffic steering, quick root cause analysis, and better logs plus dashboard. User experience has also improved, which is often overlooked. With stable internet provided by SD-WAN, priority for business applications, and a reliable VPN connection, we no longer experience frequent internet slow complaints, allowing smooth video calls with Teams and Zoom, and consistent access to SaaS applications, resulting in happier users and improved productivity over time.

Users report stability issues in certain versions, which requires regular updates. Real-world attacks have also highlighted the need for urgent patching of vulnerabilities.

Fortinet FortiGate, while a powerful and feature-rich web firewall, could improve in areas like firmware stability, documentation, and ease of use. The learning curve can be steep for some users. For beginners, support quality can vary, and frequent updates with occasional vulnerabilities call for careful patch management. However, once Fortinet FortiGate is configured, it remains highly reliable and efficient. Customer support needs improvement, as I find it very slow, with reports from other users reflecting that customer support is inadequate.

I have been working in my current field for the last three years.

We have seen specific numbers indicating that with SD-WAN plus high availability, there is typically a 60 to 90 percent reduction in internet-related downtime. For example, before implementation, I had two days of downtime per month due to ISP issues, but now it is reduced to one to two hours a month with auto failover. Regarding network performance and user experience, we are seeing 30 to 50 percent faster application performance, a 70 to 90 percent reduction in malware and phishing incidents after applying security measures, and troubleshooting that is 40 to 60 percent faster in resolution.

Fortinet FortiGate is stable.

Fortinet FortiGate's scalability is one of its strong areas, designed to scale from small branch offices all the way to high-scale data centers and cloud environments.

Customer support is poor. Sometimes I open a critical ticket only to have customer support respond in four to five hours, reflecting that customer support is very weak. I rate customer support a seven out of ten.

Before using Fortinet FortiGate, I was using a SonicWall firewall, and I switched mainly due to the need for SD-WAN capabilities, which SonicWall did not provide.

Before choosing Fortinet FortiGate, I evaluated other options including Sophos firewall and Palo Alto. With Palo Alto, the challenge was the cost, and Fortinet was the lower-cost solution, leading me to choose Fortinet.

My experience with pricing for Fortinet FortiGate includes hardware and subscription, with typical costs ranging from about seven hundred dollars to one thousand five hundred dollars for a small firewall and one thousand five hundred dollars to four thousand dollars or more for mid-size SMB. The initial setup cost, which requires an engineer for the initial partner network, is competitive compared to other vendors, particularly given the number of features included. However, the licensing model can be complex, and ongoing subscription costs require careful planning. The setup is straightforward for basic deployment, although advanced configurations like SD-WAN and VPN require expertise. Overall, it offers good value for money, but organizations should evaluate the total cost of ownership, including yearly licensing, with a typical pattern of 50 to 60 percent hardware cost and yearly subscription.

I evaluate the changes in return on investment after implementing Fortinet solutions for my SD-WAN and hybrid workforce as significant and valuable. Real metrics for management include reducing reliance on MPLS and shifting traffic to broadband links, typically resulting in a 30 to 50 percent WAN cost saving. For example, the impact of using hybrid MPLS and broadband SD-WAN for intelligent route traffic is to drive cheaper WAN with better performance. There is also security incident reduction leading to higher ROI. With IPS, web filter, and zero trust, we see a typical impact of 70 to 90 percent fewer security incidents. After implementing Fortinet FortiGate, Fortinet SD-WAN, and unified SASE , we observed significant ROI through reduced WAN costs by around 30 to 40 percent, improved uptime with nearly 70 to 80 percent reduction in downtime, and lower operational overhead by consolidating multiple security and networking functions into a single platform, which has also led to a reduction in total cost of ownership by 25 to 30 percent.

I have seen a strong ROI impact from Fortinet FortiGate SD-WAN, with reduced costs.

My experience with pricing for Fortinet FortiGate includes hardware and subscription, with typical costs ranging from about seven hundred dollars to one thousand five hundred dollars for a small firewall and one thousand five hundred dollars to four thousand dollars or more for mid-size SMB. The initial setup cost, which requires an engineer for the initial partner network, is competitive compared to other vendors, particularly given the number of features included. However, the licensing model can be complex, and ongoing subscription costs require careful planning. The setup is straightforward for basic deployment, although advanced configurations like SD-WAN and VPN require expertise. Overall, it offers good value for money, but organizations should evaluate the total cost of ownership, including yearly licensing, with a typical pattern of 50 to 60 percent hardware cost and yearly subscription.

Before choosing Fortinet FortiGate, I evaluated other options including Sophos firewall and Palo Alto. With Palo Alto, the challenge was the cost, and Fortinet was the lower-cost solution, leading me to choose Fortinet.

My advice for others considering Fortinet FortiGate is to properly size the appliance as the most important factor, design SD-WAN correctly from day one, enable security features gradually, and properly learn FortiOS concepts. Using centralized management tools like FortiAnalyzer and FortiManager is also crucial. Planning for high availability, whether active-passive or active-active, is important, as is monitoring properly and regularly. My advice would be to size the appliance correctly based on real traffic with security features enabled, design SD-WAN policy carefully, and enable features in phases, with a solid grasp of FortiOS and centralized management tools being vital for long-term success.

Fortinet FortiGate is a powerful, scalable, and cost-effective next-generation firewall solution that delivers excellent value, especially for SD-WAN and multi-site deployment. Achieving the best results depends on proper design, sizing, and ongoing optimization, making Fortinet FortiGate a reliable and feature-rich solution of great value for the money. I have rated this review a nine out of ten.

Fortinet FortiGate  serves as my gateway device where I manage all my security. I use Fortinet FortiGate  as a gateway for the NATing part for LAN to WAN communication. Along with that, I manage security profiles from the gateway only, and all my switches and Wi-Fi also work with Fortinet FortiGate.

I work on RE VPN and SSL RE VPN on Fortinet FortiGate.

In my opinion, the best features Fortinet FortiGate offers are monitoring and troubleshooting. Along with that, its security services are also a key point for me. For example, I need to manage features including IPS, antivirus, web filtering, and application control via Fortinet FortiGate only.

I appreciate the security feature of Fortinet FortiGate. For example, I can take real-time logs and session monitoring along with VPN, event logs, data usage monitoring, and related features.

I have noticed faster troubleshooting and reduced downtime of around fifty percent. My operational efficiency has improved. For a real example, a client experienced frequent internet drops, and this was resolved more efficiently.

One suggested improvement I would recommend is more simplified troubleshooting. Although logs are powerful, troubleshooting can sometimes be complex for new users. A more guided or AI-based troubleshooting feature would help reduce resolution time. Fortinet FortiGate should incorporate AI-based solutions to improve the troubleshooting experience.

I have been using Fortinet FortiGate for two years.

Fortinet FortiGate is stable. It demonstrates excellent stability in various terms including network utilization.

Fortinet FortiGate offers strong scalability and can support environments ranging from small businesses to large businesses. There is a wide range of models from entry level to high end levels. Flexible deployment options include physical appliances, virtual, and cloud deployments, which is beneficial.

Customer support needs improvement. I have had to take the direct internal sources, such as sales contacts, and after that I rarely see support response.

I would rate the customer support at a six out of ten.

I have used Sophos before, and several of my criteria were missing with that solution. Fortinet FortiGate achieved the features I was looking for, which is why I shifted to Fortinet FortiGate firewall.

My experience is very positive regarding pricing, setup cost, and licensing for Fortinet FortiGate. The pricing is also competitive compared to other vendors in the market. Along with that, setup is very easy. I implemented it in my network myself. For the licensing part, it is somewhat confusing, but overall it is good.

Fortinet FortiGate has saved me both money and time. It is easy to manage and the troubleshooting part is also very easy, making it more time-saving than money-saving.

In terms of cost savings, it has reduced the need for multiple tools. Fortinet FortiGate combines firewall, VPN, IPS, web filtering, and SD-WAN into a single device, which has given me lower operational overhead.

Before choosing Fortinet FortiGate, I tried various options. I obtained the POC from Palo Alto as well as Check Point. After that, I switched to Fortinet FortiGate because it was the best option for my network.

My advice for others looking into using Fortinet FortiGate is that focusing on proper planning, sizing, and understanding of features before deployment will be a good approach.

Integrating SD-WAN with Fortinet FortiGate has allowed me to create an SLA according to which my ISPs define the traffic and the best path utilized.

I would rate this product a ten out of ten overall.

I have been using Fortinet FortiGate  for the past six years.

I have been using Fortinet FortiGate  to provide security for network and perimeter networks and gateways, and I rely on Fortinet FortiGate to protect my applications from various Layer 4 and Layer 7 attacks and traffic from malicious IPs while blocking traffic from unwanted IPs.

Fortinet FortiGate is also mainly used to establish IPsec tunnel connectivity with other networks, and users from outside the office network can connect to resources via IPsec VPN as well as site-to-site and client-to-site VPN, which leverages access and resource availability across various networks and simplifies resource accessibility worldwide.

One of the main features that I use in real time with Fortinet FortiGate is web filtering and App IDs based on application control. Previously, I allowed application access policies based on ports, but it could not prevent traffic based on the same application port with different use cases. For example, port 443 can be used for various purposes, but it could not restrict access for some specific applications. The App ID based control is useful for me to restrict traffic based on application usage and user access, which is the primary purpose of Fortinet FortiGate in real time.

Fortinet FortiGate offers next-generation firewall features and security features that restrict access for malicious traffic, URLs, and IPs, which is a major feature that Fortinet FortiGate offers.

The next-generation firewall capabilities including deep packet inspection and application controls via App IDs, Intrusion Prevention Systems, web filtering, URL filtering, and anti-malware protections are essential features that are present in Fortinet FortiGate to prevent various cyber attacks and threats in the network.

Fortinet FortiGate is also mainly used to establish IPsec tunnel connectivity with other networks, and users from outside the office network can connect to resources via IPsec VPN as well as site-to-site and client-to-site VPN, which leverages access and resource availability across various networks and simplifies resource accessibility worldwide.

The security features could have been more similar to those in the Palo Alto firewall with major data protections and WildFire, and deeper inspection capabilities, which Fortinet FortiGate lacks. Additionally, I notice that Fortinet FortiGate often experiences resource utilization problems where memory is heavily occupied regularly, necessitating cleanup tasks.

During firmware upgrades, the process is not smooth; one of the VMs often goes out of sync and exits the HA cluster. Therefore, I separate the HA between the firewalls and perform upgrade activities one by one manually. The graphical dashboard representation of the data is frequently inaccurate, leading me to rely on syslogs for more dependable information. The log retention period on the device seems too short despite having ample memory and disk capacity, which is a major issue.

I have been working in my current field for the past seven years.

The scalability experience indicates that if I need additional features or security capabilities, such as sandbox features, I can add them by opting for separate licenses, making it convenient for me.

Fortinet FortiGate customer support appears somewhat good, but for complex cases or major incidents, I often do not receive prompt support from the OEM, resulting in multiple follow-ups to get the necessary assistance.

Previously, I used to have a Cisco ASA  firewall, which had fewer security features for protecting the network from day-to-day attacks and threats. Fortinet FortiGate firewall has next-generation capabilities with various security features including deep inspections, filters, URL filters, URL categories, and IPS protections while controlling application access based on application IDs, along with anti-malware protections to safeguard applications from malicious threats and attacks. By using Fortinet FortiGate, I significantly reduced major attacks that could exploit my network.

I would advise others considering Fortinet FortiGate, particularly those concerned about budget and pricing with decent performance and support, to proceed with Fortinet FortiGate, as compared to other next-generation firewall products, Fortinet FortiGate has lower license support costs, which is a significant advantage. Moreover, from my experience, it performs its job effectively with no major issues related to performance or functionalities including policy control, VPN, and security features. I would rate this product a 7 out of 10.