Fortinet FortiGate is used on three separate sites: one in Tehachapi, one in Simi Valley, California, and one in Memphis, Tennessee. I work in distribution with Fortinet FortiGate.
IT Professional at a wholesaler/distributor with 51-200 employees
Ease of setup and cost-effectiveness but support needs improvement
Pros and Cons
- "The primary feature I appreciate about Fortinet FortiGate is the ease of setup."
- "The primary feature I appreciate about Fortinet FortiGate is the ease of setup."
- "The AI with Fortinet FortiGate is not very well integrated on their devices, and their cloud infrastructure is not as good as Cisco's."
- "The support is inadequate. The support staff I have dealt with lately are very rude. Some support staff are not up-to-speed with the technology. They basically read a script."
What is our primary use case?
What is most valuable?
The primary feature I appreciate about Fortinet FortiGate is the ease of setup. It's more affordable than Cisco and very configurable. When discussing configurability regarding Fortinet FortiGate, I don't have to download modules to have features such as IPSec VPN or SSL VPN - it's already there. Most of the popular features are pre-installed and I only need to configure them, unlike with MikroTik where I have to download components that may not work, and with Netgate, I can't install everything I want without uninstalling other packages.
Fortinet FortiGate is very competitive compared to Palo Alto Networks and Cisco; they are better priced than both competitors. On average, Cisco would be 10% to 20% higher than Fortinet FortiGate, and the same applies to Palo Alto.
What needs improvement?
The AI with Fortinet FortiGate is not very well integrated on their devices, and their cloud infrastructure is not as good as Cisco's.
The support is inadequate. The support staff I have dealt with lately are very rude. Some support staff are not up-to-speed with the technology. They basically read a script. If they don't know how to fix an issue, they send me to another engineer.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have used Fortinet FortiGate since 2012.
Buyer's Guide
Fortinet FortiGate
March 2026
Learn what your peers think about Fortinet FortiGate. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: March 2026.
884,933 professionals have used our research since 2012.
How are customer service and support?
The support is inadequate. The Fortinet FortiGate support staff I have dealt with lately are very rude and some of them are not up-to-speed with the technology; they basically read a script. If they don't know how to fix an issue, they send me to another engineer. The last representative I had to deal with was very rude to me.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
I wasn't involved in the decision of picking Fortinet FortiGate, however, before we switched over, we were using SonicWall firewall appliance.
How was the initial setup?
I was part of the initial setup of Fortinet FortiGate. When it was originally set up, on a scale between one to ten, with ten being really easy to set up, I would rate it about an eight or nine.
When we first deployed Fortinet FortiGate, it was just me, and one person could actually deploy it in three sites, so it's relatively easy.
Once we deployed the last time, we actually moved our whole management of it to a third party. They manage our Fortinet for us now. It's supposed to be easy, however, during the last deployment, when they upgraded us, there was some project management snafu. That said, that's not a Fortinet issue. When I was deploying it, it was relatively easy.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
Currently, we are paying about $1,500 a month for three sites. We have a company that leases the equipment from Fortinet FortiGate, configures it, and I tell them what features I want on and off and how to secure it. We paid about $1,500 on the last contract, and it's probably going to go up this year.
Which other solutions did I evaluate?
I've also evaluated other options. Other than price, Cisco has a better cloud management infrastructure, while Palo Alto has better security features such as deep packet inspection algorithms and AI integration on their devices.
What other advice do I have?
I would recommend Fortinet FortiGate if you have a small to medium business, which we have. For a large business with multiple campuses, Fortinet FortiGate is probably not going to work for you.
On a scale of one to ten, I give this solution a rating of seven.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
On-premises
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
IP Network Security Specialist at MTN Ghana
Process-Level CPU Visibility: Introduce detailed CPU-usage metrics per subsystem (e.g., IPS engine, logging) so administrators can quickly identify and address performance spikes.
Pros and Cons
- "Since deploying FortiGate 3401E clusters, we have observed: Dramatic Reduction in Risk Exposure—blocked peer-to-peer and unauthorized applications (e.g., BitTorrent) at the perimeter and east-west segments, eliminating a major source of malware and bandwidth abuse."
- "In the past six to seven years with the Fortinet FortiGate, we've had two major downtimes, both caused by firmware upgrades."
What is our primary use case?
Our primary deployment of FortiGate 3401E (v7.2.11-17.40) is as the perimeter and east-west firewall for four geographically distributed data centers, each secured with an HA-paired cluster. We handle over 500 Gbps of mixed Layer 3 to Layer 7 traffic across our data centers, where FortiGate 3401E appliances perform deep-packet inspection, SSL/TLS termination, and real-time application control to secure critical services.FortiGate enforces blacklists for unwanted apps and CVE-based signatures, isolates services via VDOMs (enterprise, core, billing, WAF), and automatically blocks zero-day threats using FortiGuard IPS feeds
How has it helped my organization?
Since deploying FortiGate 3401E clusters, we have observed:
Dramatic Reduction in Risk Exposure. Blocked peer-to-peer and unauthorized applications (e.g., BitTorrent) at the perimeter and east-west segments, eliminating a major source of malware and bandwidth abuse. Proactive IPS signature updates from FortiGuard closed zero-day and known-CVE gaps faster than our previous Huawei solution. Enhanced Visibility & Forensics. Full-packet captures and rich metadata logging in FortiAnalyzer enable sub-minute root-cause analysis of security events. Custom dashboards surface top-talkers and rule-hit counts, letting us fine-tune policies and prove compliance to auditors. Operational Efficiency. VDOM-based segmentation simplifies multi-tenant and multi-service management within a single chassis and no additional hardware required.
What is most valuable?
Analytics with FortiAnalyzer. Being able to pull in logs not just from our FortiGates but from all our other firewalls and then get them in one view has been a game changer. Whether I’m building an executive dashboard or doing a deep dive forensics session, I get everything I need without navigating consoles.Straightforward Application Control. FortiGate spots and blocks unwanted apps (eq. like BitTorrent or streaming services) with accuracy. Segmentation with VDOMs. We’ve carved our data center into four logical ‘mini-firewalls’ enterprise, core, billing, and WAF—all on one box. Each has its own rules and logs, and any traffic between them still gets inspected. It’s like having multiple appliances without the extra hardware. Always-Up-to-Date Threat Feeds. Daily signature updates and AI-driven threat sensing mean we’re blocking the latest vulnerabilities almost as soon as they’re announced.
What needs improvement?
The CPU spikes sometimes go up to 40 percent occur during background IPS updates, but there’s no visibility into which subsystem is responsible. Current Gap: Despite scheduling daily signature downloads, updates sometimes run outside the configured window triggering unplanned performance hits.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been working with Fortinet FortiGate for almost six to seven years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
six to seven years in production with only two brief downtimes
both incidents stemmed from firmware upgrade bugs and were promptly identified
infosec alerts and FortiGuard advisories guide our version choices
support response and resolution averaged four to five hours per ticket
instituted rollback validation and staging procedures to avoid repeats
outside of upgrade windows the HA clusters have delivered near-100 percent uptime
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
It is scalable.
How are customer service and support?
For Fortinet FortiGate, I would rate their technical support a nine out of ten. Compared to other products, Fortinet FortiGate provides timely updates, even coordinating with engineers for coverage. I've worked with other products, so I recognize their strengths in terms of support.
How would you rate customer service and support?
Positive
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
our core perimeter and east–west inspection point was a Huawei Eudemon firewall cluster. While it handled basic stateful filtering it lacked Deep Packet Inspection Eudemon could not parse or enforce Layer-7 application contexts, leaving blind spots for evasive or nonstandard-port traffic. it also did Granular threat Intelligence, and it was limited, and updates were infrequent, delaying remediation of newly disclosed CVEs. Unified Logging and Forensics erm the Eudemon’s logging interface offered only summary-level records, forcing manual packet captures for any detailed analysis
How was the initial setup?
implementation used FortiGate 3401E running firmware 7.2.11 build 17.40
partner provided detailed timelines and low-level designs that we followed step by step
grace period and dedicated engineer ensured any questions were answered immediately
cut-over executed without major issues or unplanned downtime
post-deployment support window allowed smooth transition to steady-state operations
overall process was seamless and delivered on schedule
What about the implementation team?
There was involvement from a partner, although I can’t recall their name off the top of my head. I believe they were based in Nigeria. They were indeed helpful. They were great. Whenever we had an issue, we could call them at any time, and they would assist us promptly. They were genuinely helpful, no doubt about that.
I believe we purchased it through the third-party vendor they provided us with. So, the third party handled the purchase, interfacing with FortiGate, while we communicated with the vendor directly, if I remember correctly.
What was our ROI?
onboarded three times more customers without adding firewall hardware
cut network expansion capital expenses by roughly 40 percent through VDOM consolidation
reduced vulnerability remediation costs by about 60 percent thanks to automated FortiGuard updates
shortened policy-deployment time by over 50 percent, freeing up 10 plus hours of engineering effort weekly
achieved payback on the initial FortiGate investment within 9 months via increased tenancy revenue and lower OPEX
Which other solutions did I evaluate?
Strengths- mature threat prevention suite, granular policy controls, strong management console
Weaknesses – high total cost of ownership, steep learning curve and management overhead at scale
Cisco Firepower
Strengths – tight integration with existing Cisco switching and routing fabric, robust SSL decryption
Weaknesses – underwhelming layer 7 DPI performance in our live 5G billing environment; fragmented logging requiring multiple consoles; protracted support cycles
Palo Alto Networks excluded from this evaluation to diversify our vendor mix and avoid single-vendor lock-in
FortiGate emerged as the best balance of performance, visibility and TCO after six months of PoC across four data centers
What other advice do I have?
I like how the role-based access control with granular admin profiles reduces risk of misconfiguration in multi-team environments
automatic configuration backups and revision history simplify audit compliance and rollback in case of errors
built-in high availability health checks and session-sync ensure seamless failover during maintenance or hardware faults
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
On-premises
Disclosure: PeerSpot contacted the reviewer to collect the review and to validate authenticity. The reviewer was referred by the vendor, but the review is not subject to editing or approval by the vendor.
Last updated: Aug 3, 2025
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Fortinet FortiGate
March 2026
Learn what your peers think about Fortinet FortiGate. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: March 2026.
884,933 professionals have used our research since 2012.
Manager at Volta River Authority
Ensures business continuity with reliable internet connectivity and robust security features
Pros and Cons
- "Stateful packet inspection is valuable. It also does SSL packet inspection. It is able to provide a VPN for remote users with secure connectivity."
- "For the performance they provide, the price is acceptable."
- "I wish that they could integrate zero-trust technology into Fortinet FortiGate. I am not sure whether it has been done already, but if they could implement that, it would help significantly."
- "I wish that they could integrate zero-trust technology into Fortinet FortiGate. I am not sure whether it has been done already, but if they could implement that, it would help significantly."
What is our primary use case?
We are using it for perimeter security. By implementing Fortinet FortiGate, we wanted to have secure internet access to our network and prevent cyber risks.
How has it helped my organization?
The content filtering and URL filtering capabilities, along with packet content filtering, are very good. It helps us restrict internet traffic during working hours to legitimate work-related traffic. Workers are only able to access social media, YouTube, and similar sites after work hours.
It helps in protecting the edge significantly because we are able to determine what must be accepted and what must not be accepted. We also have FortiAnalyzer, which is the log analyzer for Fortinet FortiGate. Being AI-driven, it helps us see what is happening and new emerging threats quickly. We are able to make the necessary interventions to protect the network.
We are using QRadar as a SIEM, and Fortinet FortiGate integrates with it seamlessly. FortiAnalyzer picks all logs from Fortinet FortiGate, integrates with QRadar, and allows us to see everything. It also integrates beautifully with our EDR from WithSecure.
It also helps reduce power consumption. Fortinet FortiGate is a greener listing in terms of power consumption.
What is most valuable?
Stateful packet inspection is valuable. It also does SSL packet inspection. It is able to provide a VPN for remote users with secure connectivity. Being a next-generation firewall, it helps.
It has been able to host internet feeds from two different ISPs, with one as a backup. We've two internet services on Fortinet FortiGate. We have been able to deploy it in a high-availability mode. We have redundancy. When there is a problem with one, the other picks up quickly, ensuring business continuity.
What needs improvement?
I wish that they could integrate zero-trust technology into Fortinet FortiGate. I am not sure whether it has been done already, but if they could implement that, it would help significantly.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using it for about ten years now.
How are customer service and support?
Their support is good.
How would you rate customer service and support?
Positive
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
I didn't use any similar solution previously.
How was the initial setup?
I wasn't involved in the recent deployment.
It was quite quick. The last deployment was more of a migration, where we migrated from an old platform to a new platform. It was a matter of hours because the configs had been backed up. In eight hours, we were done completely.
What about the implementation team?
We had two people from my side and two from Fortinet's side.
What was our ROI?
If we look at the average revenue loss due to downtime, even if I conservatively put it at $10,000 an hour, we have paid back the investment within six months.
Compared to a sister company that did not take security seriously and lost significant money through ransomware attacks and outages, we have not experienced a single successful ransomware attack. In one instance, we were able to thwart an attack by detecting the initial steps quickly through EDR and FortiAnalyzer. We saw the footprints and stopped it before it reached the encryption phase of the ransomware attack.
The analysis being AI-based helped us quickly pick up unusual activity. Once alerted, we were able to quickly identify the affected nodes, isolate them, and stop the attack.
It has reduced the total cost of ownership by 10%.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
For the performance that we get, the price is reasonable. There are cheaper options, but they may not deliver the same kind of performance that we want. For the performance they provide, the price is acceptable.
What other advice do I have?
Currently, there is a project we are doing to converge OT and IT using Fortinet FortiGate, because of the cluster we have. Fortinet FortiGate is going to broker the convergence between IT and OT. We want to make the convergence one-way, with only read-only data coming from OT into IT.
They keep bringing new versions and firmware updates, making sure that their products are always relevant. They are always providing what the industry needs.
We have implemented FortiAnalyzer. We are also looking seriously at FortiIdentity to help us with enterprise single sign-on and multi-factor authentication. Because we already have Fortinet FortiGate in the system, we are seriously considering other Fortinet solutions.
I would rate this solution a nine out of ten.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
On-premises
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
Chief Technology Officer at Litmus
Unified security management has simplified data center protection and optimized branch connectivity
Pros and Cons
- "In my opinion, the main benefits that end users receive from Fortinet FortiGate are that the return on investment is good, whatever money we invest in Fortinet FortiGate product, we get it back in two years' time, it is pretty secure, having very robust hardware and software, updates are pretty good, and in the event of an issue, updates are pretty quick."
- "Fortinet FortiGate firewall is good, but other products like the switching part and all that fabric, in handling very audio-video traffic, sometimes it struggles on the switching part, but on the routing part, it is fine."
What is our primary use case?
The key use case that we and our clients work with Fortinet FortiGate is mainly the firewall part, the management part, and monitoring. These are the three aspects on which we are using Fortinet FortiGate.
We are using SD-WAN with Fortinet FortiGate, and it works pretty well. Multiple branches are connected to the head office.
We utilize Fortinet FortiGate data center solutions in most of the data center. Most of our clients are using data centers, so we use Fortinet FortiGate in the data centers.
On a regular basis, we help our clients to deploy the security fabric because compliance governance and audit come into the picture, and responsibility has to be decided.
What is most valuable?
In my opinion, the unique or most useful functions of Fortinet FortiGate are that it has a pretty simple deployment. It does not have any complex plugins or anything. It is very straightforward for configuration purposes. All of the configuration parameters are there in a single dashboard. Depending on your licenses, you can just configure them and then they are ready to go. The testing part is pretty easy. It is not more difficult than other firewalls.
My impression of the effectiveness of Fortinet Unified SASE is that it is pretty good, and all the products of Fortinet FortiGate are available in a single dashboard. There is less complexity for that.
I have experience with the Unified Agent in Fortinet Unified SASE. Most of the time, it is used with Unified Forti. We have multiple devices which we can connect through that. Most of the time when we deploy this, we have to deploy the agent. The agent has less overhead on the systems. Performance does not degrade for the end users. That is beneficial.
What needs improvement?
In my opinion, a potential area of improvement for Fortinet FortiGate is that while it has a pretty good dashboard, which is not an issue as such, when we talk about hardware parameters, sometimes the hardware gets pretty heated up. Given the amount of traffic going through it, that is fine. However, the heat of the hardware has to be looked into. Fortinet FortiGate firewall is good, but other products like the switching part and all that fabric, in handling very audio-video traffic, sometimes it struggles on the switching part, but on the routing part, it is fine. On the firewall part, it is good; there is no issue as such up till now.
Additionally, I suggest that Fortinet can add software which is in a controlled way, particularly regarding AI and ML. It should not happen that the AI/ML takes certain decisions which are not beneficial for the organization. The control should remain with the team members who are responsible for configuring this firewall.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been working with Fortinet FortiGate for more than 10 years, probably around 13 years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
For Fortinet FortiGate stability, I can say nine. It is pretty stable.
How would you rate stability?
Positive
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
Regarding scalability, the ability to expand, I also rate it as nine. It is easily scalable.
How would you rate scalability?
Positive
How are customer service and support?
Regarding technical support from Fortinet vendor support, I would place it at nine.
How would you rate customer service and support?
Positive
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
I have been with Fortinet for a pretty long time and with Sophos, as I mentioned previously. If I compare Sophos and Fortinet, I would consider Fortinet FortiGate for critical segments and Sophos for small and medium segments.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup for Fortinet FortiGate is pretty simple.
What about the implementation team?
We are partners with Fortinet, and I can confirm that we are not just integrators, but we are also resellers for Fortinet.
We sell the product directly for the vendor, not through some marketplaces; we sell directly to our end users.
What was our ROI?
In my opinion, the main benefits that end users receive from Fortinet FortiGate are that the return on investment is good. Whatever money we invest in Fortinet FortiGate product, we get it back in two years' time. It is pretty secure, having very robust hardware and software. Updates are pretty good, and in the event of an issue, updates are pretty quick. It is a pretty solid product, with the amount of money we are paying out there.
The dynamic segmentation feature in Fortinet FortiGate is working fine. We have used it, and it is pretty good. The configuration timelines have reduced because of this particular product.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
In terms of pricing, I would say it is pretty good, so we can say ten for that.
I confirm that it is reasonable money for that solution.
Which other solutions did I evaluate?
Regarding the integration of SD-WAN with Fortinet SASE on application performance for remote users, right now we are not using SASE from Fortinet FortiGate.
What other advice do I have?
We will recommend Fortinet FortiGate to other users. It is totally up to the client requirements. I rate this review overall as nine.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
On-premises
If public cloud, private cloud, or hybrid cloud, which cloud provider do you use?
Other
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer. reseller
Last updated: Mar 2, 2026
Flag as inappropriateSenior Systems Engineer at a consultancy with 11-50 employees
Unified security fabric has enabled centralized control and has simplified multi-site protection
Pros and Cons
- "What I appreciate the most about Fortinet FortiGate is that it has a very large integration using Fabric, which they call Fabric Connectors."
- "Sometimes I experience stability issues, but sometimes they are related to hardware not functioning properly or related to a software bug."
What is our primary use case?
I mainly use Fortinet FortiGate to implement it as a perimetral firewall solution because Fortinet FortiGate are next-generation firewalls. I use it to protect internal network customers and configure remote access, firewall policies, internal access websites, web filtering solutions, IPS, and IDS configurations.
I implemented it approximately one year ago in an Italian manufacturer producer. My perspective on the effectiveness of the unified SASE in providing consistent security policies across multiple locations is that it is very similar to Fortinet FortiGate, so if you know how to manage Fortinet FortiGate firewalls, it is easier and very easy to implement and configure FortiSASE.
For Fortinet FortiGate, it is very easy because it is very near to zero-touch provisioning. You need to install the box and if we speak about hardware appliances, you just need to install the boxes on the infrastructure and connect the cables to connect Fortinet FortiGate firewalls to the internet routers or MPLS routers, and configure basically the main IP address to have the connectivity. Next, you configure policy firewalls and it is very easy and very fast.
You can implement Fortinet FortiGate for small, medium, and large enterprise because it is very suitable for small and medium enterprise. For one to five or six firewalls on different branches or different sites, you can manage it manually and independently. But if you need to scale or have a large enterprise deployment, you can manage all Fortinet FortiGates directly in one panel with the FortiManager solution. There is a dedicated orchestrator delivered by Fortinet in hardware or VM solution, and with FortiManager you can manage all Fortinet FortiGates in one platform. For example, two years ago, I used to manage around 500 Fortinet FortiGates with FortiManager. It is very scalable with the correct solution and the other things you need to manage large deployments.
What is most valuable?
What I appreciate the most about Fortinet FortiGate is that it has a very large integration using Fabric, which they call Fabric Connectors. With Fortinet FortiGate firewalls, you can manage not only the perimetral firewalls but also all the internal infrastructure. For example, you can connect access points of Fortinet for wireless and Wi-Fi and manage them directly on Fortinet FortiGate. The same applies for switches and other Fortinet appliances that can be managed directly from one single dashboard.
What needs improvement?
Fortinet has developed the firmware for Fortinet FortiGate extensively. They change the operating system continuously and very often. Sometimes they introduce many features or new features or change the commands or the method you need to use to implement something or some configuration. The fact is if you develop always or very often the firmware, you need to study every release to see if there is a new feature or something changed. Sometimes it is difficult to remain aligned with the new firmware and the features.
You need to maintain alignment with Fortinet FortiGate. For example, in Europe, we have many policies and regulations, so you need to check, tune, and configure your firewall in the correct manner and maintain alignment with the policy of the European Union. You need to always check, improve, and maintain the firmware of Fortinet FortiGate up to date.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using Fortinet FortiGate for seven to eight years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
Sometimes I experience stability issues, but sometimes they are related to hardware not functioning properly or related to a software bug. Sometimes I have encountered this type of situation using Fortinet FortiGate. But in those specific cases, I opened a ticket and worked directly with Fortinet to resolve the issue for the customer.
How are customer service and support?
I have worked with the technical assistance of Fortinet for my seven to eight years of career with Fortinet, and I have opened tickets with different departments of the TAC. For example, the FortiSASE team is very effective. If you open a ticket, you have very good engineers to interact with, and they help in a correct manner. The flow is very clear to understand and resolve the issue. The only problem I have encountered in the last years with Fortinet is that if you open a support ticket for the main solution of Fortinet, for example, Fortinet FortiGate, FortiManager, or FortiAnalyzer, the support is not delivered directly from Fortinet but from partners of Fortinet. If you need to speak directly with the main core solution of Fortinet and you open a ticket, initially you are followed by a partner of Fortinet. But if you escalate to a more specific support, next you can go through a real Fortinet engineer. But sometimes this step extends the duration of the ticket and the analysis. I would give a score of 7.5 to 8 for the support of Fortinet FortiGate.
How would you rate customer service and support?
Positive
How was the initial setup?
The first time that I deployed Fortinet FortiGate depends on the size of the customer. For a small to medium customer, I think three days for the initial setup and to configure some firewall rules is appropriate.
What about the implementation team?
If you are a junior network engineer, you need to be followed by a middle or senior engineer in the backend that helps the junior to implement and test the solution. But for a middle or senior engineer, one person is adequate for deploying Fortinet FortiGate.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
I do not follow the finance perspective directly, but what I know about Fortinet FortiGate pricing is that it is very affordable compared to, for example, Palo Alto Networks. I have observed that some people see and speak about the price of the Fortinet solution as very convenient.
What other advice do I have?
I am a system integrator in Italy. Previously, until three months ago, I worked for one of the main partners in Italy called Maticmind SPA. Now I work for another system integrator, and we are a lower partnership, but we manage and install Fortinet FortiGate appliances for our customers. My overall review rating for this product is 8 out of 10.
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer. Partner
Last updated: Dec 9, 2025
Flag as inappropriateNetwork Administrator at a educational organization with 501-1,000 employees
A solid firewall with straightforward management and robust capabilities
Pros and Cons
- "It is pretty straightforward to manage and has robust capabilities. I appreciate that Fortinet FortiGate can be a central controller for other Fortinet products, such as switches and access points."
- "Fortinet FortiGate has very good support."
- "It's one of the more expensive brands."
- "FortiManager has not been my favorite. I don't use it and cannot say I really care for FortiManager for managing the firewalls."
What is our primary use case?
We primarily use Fortinet FortiGate as endpoint firewalls for our campuses. Nothing too extravagant, just providing access out and limiting access to certain applications and restricting unauthorized access from external sources. I have recently been using it also as the controller for the wireless access points.
What is most valuable?
It is pretty straightforward to manage and has robust capabilities. I appreciate that Fortinet FortiGate can be a central controller for other Fortinet products, such as switches and access points. I have used its VPN abilities a little bit, but not a great deal. I appreciate that it has some SD-WAN capabilities, though I've only used that to a limited degree. It is a solid, usable, reliable solution.
What needs improvement?
It's one of the more expensive brands.
FortiManager has not been my favorite. I don't use it and cannot say I really care for FortiManager for managing the firewalls. I primarily just access and manage the firewalls individually. Nothing else particularly comes to mind, as it has been a pretty good experience.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have about four and a half years of experience with Fortinet FortiGate.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
The stability has been very good. I have had very few issues. I had one unit that required some reboots and eventually needed a factory reset. But outside of one issue, I've never had stability issues or problems with them going down or disconnecting or having other issues. They have been very stable and reliable.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
I have experienced no scalability problems thus far. We expand out with other campuses as needed. If there are any scalability problems, I think that would probably be with making FortiManager a little bit better. Otherwise, scalability is fine.
We are a medium-sized business with 17 campuses. We plan to increase its usage. We'll probably continue with FortiGate for any other campuses that we extend out to, as well as keeping them when we do our hardware refresh.
How are customer service and support?
Fortinet FortiGate has very good support. I've been able to contact them on a couple of things for FortiGate and other products, and I've never had an issue. They've always been polite and helpful and worked to get me to solutions. I've had a good experience with Fortinet support.
How would you rate customer service and support?
Positive
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
We've always had Fortinet FortiGate in place, so I don't have a previous firewall here to compare it to, but it has basically done its job. It's manageable, and it has not created a lot of problems. Only once, I had to call their support to apply a patch update across a couple of them. One of the best features is that it does not require a lot of extra attention for me to fix problems. It's not a problem generator, so that's probably the best quality.
How was the initial setup?
I've set up several Fortinet FortiGate firewalls, and it's a pretty straightforward setup. I haven't ever really had any particular issue with getting them in place.
It's deployed physically at the locations for our campuses. To deploy one, it takes approximately an hour to program and then another hour or so to install. It can get deployed within three hours.
Just one person can manage Fortinet FortiGate; I'm able to manage everything by myself.
What about the implementation team?
The implementation was done by me, one person. Sometimes I need to walk through someone else to physically install it because it might be at a site remote from me. If I'm not physically there, it requires a second person. However, if that was not the case, I could do it as a single person.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
It's one of the more expensive brands.
The 100 series costs around $4,000. They are similar in pricing to what you might get from Cisco solutions and probably other similar ones. They're not more expensive than other similar solutions, but they're certainly not cheaper either.
What other advice do I have?
The advice is to go ahead and try it out and see how it works. The product speaks for itself.
I would rate Fortinet FortiGate a nine out of ten, as I always prefer to leave a little bit of room for improvement.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
On-premises
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
Telephony Engineer at a tech services company with 51-200 employees
Enables comprehensive security and routing for SMB and mid-market
Pros and Cons
- "Scaling-wise, there have been no problems with Fortinet FortiGate."
- "Fortinet FortiGate has started implementing AI, however, it hasn't reached full maturity."
What is our primary use case?
Fortinet FortiGate is strong in SMB and mid-market, approaching SD-WAN from a security perspective. Customers have requirements for internet as many are moving away from private connectivity and migrating to Teams, making security a top priority. They've chosen Fortinet FortiGate as it offers both a comprehensive security portfolio, including intrusion detection, deep packet inspection, and VPNs. It provides robust SD-WAN capability, eliminating the need for two vendors. Additionally, they offer a SASE solution for smaller sites where a virtual Fortinet FortiGate can be used instead of a physical one, saving space for retail locations.
How has it helped my organization?
These features resonate with small to medium-sized organizations, attracting more people to the Fortinet FortiGate solution since it's security-first while also providing SD-WAN capability. Unlike competitors such as Meraki that limit connections to two, Fortinet FortiGate allows up to 100 connections as their focus is on security rather than SD-WAN.
What is most valuable?
Fortinet FortiGate SD-WAN capabilities typically require redundancy depending on the carrier. There are two types of redundancy: network redundancy with different carriers, such as Bell and Telus, or Verizon and AT&T, both connecting to the same Fortinet FortiGate box. In traditional setups, when there were two connections, one would be active and the second passive, activating only during failover. This wasn't cost-effective as customers paid for both connections while one remained passive.
In the SD-WAN environment, both connections become active, allowing application-specific routing. For instance, voice traffic can be directed to one connection while data traffic uses the other. Rules can be created specifying alternative routes if the primary connection is unavailable.
The impact on service availability and overall network performance is significant. It provides customers with assurance against single points of failure. However, capacity management remains crucial. If both networks operate at 80% capacity and one fails, the secondary connection would face a 160% load, causing blockages. Ideally, connections should operate at 50-60% capacity to handle full load during failures.
Fortinet FortiGate has been successful and ranks high on the Magic Quadrant since they're innovators with appropriate pricing. They offer a best-in-breed solution for their target market. While they're not focused on large enterprises they excel in the mid-market SMB segment, offering comprehensive solutions from endpoint protection to VPNs and deep packet inspection.
What needs improvement?
Fortinet FortiGate has started implementing AI, however, it hasn't reached full maturity. Their AI solution doesn't compare to solutions such as Microsoft Copilot and SharePoint, primarily since AI relies on data, and Fortinet FortiGate focuses on perimeter defense and security rather than internal network data.
One notable limitation is the absence of honeypot capabilities, which competitors such as Palo Alto offer. These capabilities entice and trap attackers, allowing analysis of attack vectors. Fortinet FortiGate focuses purely on defense mechanisms without actively gathering intelligence about potential threats. This approach aligns with their mid-market focus, where such advanced threat intelligence features might be less critical than in enterprise environments.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have architected Fortinet FortiGate over the last 12 months.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
Fortinet FortiGate performs at 100% effectiveness when customers have the right skill sets and policies in place, making it a very reliable solution.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
Scaling-wise, there have been no problems with Fortinet FortiGate. In the mid-market, which typically handles up to 50 to 100 sites and campus environments, there haven't been any scaling issues.
How are customer service and support?
From an implementation and partner support perspective, Fortinet FortiGate's support deserves a rating of seven out of ten.
How would you rate customer service and support?
Neutral
How was the initial setup?
The setup requires understanding of security and is not plug-and-play, but it isn't complex when implemented by certified Fortinet engineers.
What about the implementation team?
We provide professional services to install Fortinet FortiGate through our Fortinet-certified engineers, who handle installation services for companies.
What was our ROI?
The return on investment is 100% guaranteed. Similar to car insurance, security investment proves valuable when incidents occur. For small businesses, average losses can reach $300,000 per week, while mid-market companies face potential losses of $500,000 to a million. This makes the annual security investment of approximately $100,000 worthwhile. Furthermore, cyber insurance requirements often necessitate solutions such as Fortinet FortiGate rather than simpler alternatives.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
Fortinet FortiGate pricing varies based on hardware specifications, size, and quantity purchased. Many companies access these solutions through managed service providers, who add their management fees to the hardware and license costs. Due to security being a specialized skill set and the various types of attacks (phishing, DDoS, hacks), having Fortinet FortiGate represents just one component of the total security investment.
What other advice do I have?
There's always room for improvement with Fortinet FortiGate, as no vendor achieves perfection. In their market segment, considering their offering and price point, they merit an eight out of ten rating.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
On-premises
If public cloud, private cloud, or hybrid cloud, which cloud provider do you use?
Other
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer. Implementer
Last updated: Jul 9, 2025
Flag as inappropriateIT Consultant at a financial services firm with 201-500 employees
Has protected against emerging security threats with valuable features and reliable support
Pros and Cons
- "The antivirus, malware, anti-malware, anti-spam, IP VPN connections, and firewall rules bring the most value for me and my clients."
- "There were situations of availability related to their switching solutions due to box errors."
What is our primary use case?
I have experience with Fortinet solutions.
I have had experience recently with FortiGate as well.
All the basic and important features needed for perimeter solutions to protect branches and headquarters are valuable with the FortiGate Next Generation Firewall (NGFW).
The FortiGate Next Generation Firewall (NGFW) is deployed in a company that is a carrier of telecommunication services, providing solutions to all kinds of companies around the world, especially in Mexico.
It addresses new and emerging security threats in the telecommunications industry, as we recognize that it is a highly effective solution that provides robust protection. That's the reason it was the main product we used to sell for perimeter security.
What is most valuable?
We use FortiGate Next Generation Firewall (NGFW) for the access points and their switches.
All the basic and important features needed for perimeter solutions to protect branches and headquarters are valuable with this solution.
The antivirus, malware, anti-malware, anti-spam, IP VPN connections, and firewall rules bring the most value for me and my clients.
The segmentation capabilities enhance our security posture because they work effectively combined with the switching solutions, allowing us to easily combine switching with the firewall, as we could segregate the VLANs. They were powerful and appropriate for the solution we needed while supporting all the adequate features we required.
What needs improvement?
I'm not completely sure how Fortinet can improve the FortiGate Next Generation Firewall (NGFW), however, there were situations of availability related to their switching solutions due to box errors. Fixing the bugs in their switching solutions is necessary because I have faced several situations where we lost connectivity because of their firmware.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have almost 12 years of experience with FortiGate Next Generation Firewall (NGFW).
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
Regarding next-generation firewalls, I would give the FortiGate Next Generation Firewall (NGFW) a rating of ten out of ten for stability.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
The scalability of the FortiGate Next Generation Firewall (NGFW) is quite good; it is easy to make it scalable.
I would place the scalability between nine and ten on a scale of one to ten.
How are customer service and support?
I would rate Fortinet's support a ten out of ten. They are excellent and very available whenever we needed their help.
How would you rate customer service and support?
Positive
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
We used to struggle with Cisco because it didn't have most of the features that Fortinet has, and when comparing with Palo Alto or Check Point, the prices are higher, which is important for solutions needed by mid-sized companies.
What about the implementation team?
Their deployment team is substantial, consisting of between 100 and 150 people.
What was our ROI?
Most clients realize the benefits from deployment immediately. They look for internet availability and the security needed for their endpoints.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
Fortinet has good prices compared to other vendors; there were cheaper options, and when we compared Cisco, Fortinet's prices were lower.
What other advice do I have?
I don't remember how I bought the FortiGate Next Generation Firewall (NGFW), so I can't say if it was purchased through AWS Marketplace.
The FortiGate Next Generation Firewall (NGFW) helps with the economic aspect because it effectively protects what we needed with the companies in designing the products and solutions.
I'm not familiar with how the FortiGate Next Generation Firewall (NGFW) utilizes artificial intelligence or if it has AI-driven features to improve threat detection and response, so I cannot detail its existence or help.
I would recommend FortiGate Next Generation Firewall (NGFW) to others. It is a very good product. In my position, I sold approximately 1,000 units.
On a scale of one to ten, I rate this solution a ten.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
On-premises
If public cloud, private cloud, or hybrid cloud, which cloud provider do you use?
Other
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer. Partner
Buyer's Guide
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Updated: March 2026
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