What is our primary use case?
I am reselling
FortiGate Next Generation Firewall (NGFW) or handling the administration of this product for various customers such as universities and those in the hospitality industry.
What is most valuable?
FortiGate Next Generation Firewall (NGFW) is more realistic in application, allowing for more specific, customized security policies without the extensive work involved with static rules. This feature is what I desire from the next-generation product. Its segmentation capabilities allow me to apply rules based on team needs or social networks, automatically updating for new networks. This removes worry about what happens when a new social network appears.
What needs improvement?
It would be better if there was more transparency regarding what the automatic rules do. When a site is blocked, it is necessary for me to consult the logs to understand what the Next Generation Firewall policy has blocked. There is usually no information about what is included or not included in these automatic rules.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have had about five years of experience with FortiGate Next Generation Firewall (NGFW).
How are customer service and support?
The support is not good because I generally search for solutions online. When I open a case, they usually identify it as a bug they are working on. I must study the best version to install to avoid previously found bugs.
How would you rate customer service and support?
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup of FortiGate Next Generation Firewall (NGFW) is pretty straightforward and easy.
What about the implementation team?
For one implementation, only one person is needed for configuration. However, for tasks like interconnecting, putting the device in a rack, and other physical requirements, more people are required.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
The licenses are expensive, and whenever a customer needs to renew the license, it becomes a significant expense. However, the hardware itself is relatively inexpensive compared to the license costs.
Which other solutions did I evaluate?
Netgate pfSense and FortiGate Next Generation Firewall (NGFW) differ significantly in terms of pricing and features, with
FortiGate offering many more features.
What other advice do I have?
On a scale of one to ten, I would rate FortiGate Next Generation Firewall (NGFW) a seven.
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer. Partner