We use the FortiGate IPS solution to analyze malware. When we receive attacks, we analyze the IPs.
Network administrator at PISystems
Provides efficient features for malware analysis, but its pricing needs improvement
Pros and Cons
- "The product has an inbuilt IPS software. We can configure it to block specific anonymous attacks that are happening."
- "They should provide us with a CSV number for patch updates. It will help us block specific signatures as well."
What is our primary use case?
What is most valuable?
The product has an inbuilt IPS software. We can configure it to block specific anonymous attacks that are happening.
What needs improvement?
They should provide us with a CSV number for patch updates. It will help us block specific signatures as well.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using Fortinet FortiGate IPS for four years. We are using the latest version.
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What do I think about the stability of the solution?
The product is stable, but we need to monitor IPs as new patches are released daily. Attackers will use these new patches to develop new attack methods and signatures. We need to ensure that our FortiGate IPS is up-to-date with the latest patches. We can get the logs and see if anything we have detected is suspicious. It includes programs, applications, files, or anything else. We investigate suspicious activity and act appropriately, such as blocking IP addresses or updating policy analytics.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
The product is scalable. I sometimes have enterprise clients, but my client base is mostly small businesses. We have to implement the entire setup for them. In addition to the endpoint solution and firewall, we need to create IP addresses for users and define their services. Then, we can protect these resources from FortiGate by enabling the IPS upgrade.
How are customer service and support?
There is a customer support portal number. We can create a case there and upload our details. They provide support services instantly.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup is easy. The default CSV is already updated so that we can block those threats. We have to update the block list from the policy settings.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
The product is expensive. I rate its pricing a six out of ten.
What other advice do I have?
Enterprises use Fortinet FortiGate IPS because it protects government or critical infrastructure networks. For small businesses, IPS may be sufficient. Overall, I rate it a six out of ten.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
On-premises
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer. partner
Arquiteto Pré Vendas - Soluções Digitais - Cyber Security at Embratel
Comes with a valuable content filtering feature and helped reduce tickets at our operations center
Pros and Cons
- "The solution is easy to implement and easy to configure. The most valuable feature is FortiGate’s content filtering."
- "The price could be improved."
What is our primary use case?
I’m using Fortinet FortiGate SWG to study it as a proposal for our clients in Brazil.
How has it helped my organization?
The solution reduced a few tickets from our operations center, and we're able to work better with flash incidents.
What is most valuable?
The solution is easy to implement and easy to configure. The most valuable feature is FortiGate’s content filtering.
What needs improvement?
The price could be improved.
For how long have I used the solution?
I’ve used the solution for four years and I’m currently using the latest version.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
I rate FortiGate SWG’s stability a ten out of ten.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
I rate FortiGate SWG’s scalability an eight out of ten.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
The solution is easy to use, and it’s a great solution. I rate Fortinet FortiGate SWG a ten out of ten.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup was straightforward.
What was our ROI?
I have seen an ROI using FortiGate SWG.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
On-premises
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
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August 2026
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IT Manager at Heat and Control
Scalable platform with efficient filtering features
Pros and Cons
- "FortiGate Next Generation Firewall (NGFW) 's most valuable features are reporting and filtering."
- "The product's data guard feature should support a USB port when the internet connection is unavailable."
What is our primary use case?
We use the product for security and filtering purposes.
How has it helped my organization?
The product helps block multiple ports during ransomware attacks.
What is most valuable?
FortiGate Next Generation Firewall (NGFW) 's most valuable features are reporting and filtering.
What needs improvement?
The product's data guard feature should support a USB port when the internet connection is unavailable.
For how long have I used the solution?
We have been using FortiGate Next Generation Firewall (NGFW) for three years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
I rate the platform's stability a ten out of ten.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
Our organization has 500 FortiGate Next Generation Firewall (NGFW) users. We utilize the platform 24/7. I rate its scalability a ten out of ten.
How was the initial setup?
The platform's initial setup process is easy. I rate the process a ten out of ten. It takes a couple of days. The deployment involves integrating it with SSO in FortiGate. It helps with filtering access to user accounts through Active Directory. One executive is required for deployment. Additionally, one executive is needed to take care of packet updates for maintenance.
What about the implementation team?
We implemented the product with the help of our in-house team.
What other advice do I have?
I rate FortiGate Next Generation Firewall (NGFW) an eight 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.
Network Presales Engineer at a computer software company with 501-1,000 employees
A scalable solution that allows easy integration with Fortinet defense systems
Pros and Cons
- "I like the common administration and the possibility of adding Fortinet defense systems."
- "I see problems with the licensing. If I have to add a new feature, we need to add a license."
What is our primary use case?
We use FortiGate Next Generation Firewall first and foremost for the main site's security, remote sites, and establishing the connection between the firewalls they use. More recently, we have been using it when implementing SD-WAN.
How has it helped my organization?
The total ownership of equipment has several benefits when using one platform for administration. Training is then more focus-oriented to technology like Fabric. From the operations point of view, we have better savings by using this solution.
What is most valuable?
I like the common administration and the possibility of adding Fortinet defense systems.
What needs improvement?
I see problems with the licensing. If I have to add a new feature, we need to add a license. There may then be extra costs for our maintenance budget.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using the solution for the past five years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
Fortigate is very stable.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
FortiGate is a very scalable solution.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
We used SonicWall. We switched to FortiGate looking for better security technology, and better fabric technology based on security. In this approach, FortiGate is still better than SonicWall.
How was the initial setup?
With the initial setup, it's important to sit with the team to establish the application and the main issues to get the best possible script to implement in Fortinet equipment. We had to spend some time to implement it better.
Deployment could take one week, depending on the site, or even three weeks to implement the solution. Around four people were involved in the deployment.
What about the implementation team?
We contacted an external company to provide some professional services through engineers who have better experience in certain kinds of implementations.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
The pricing is better compared to other solutions like Check Point, Arista, or Cisco.
What other advice do I have?
To anyone who plans on supporting this solution, refer to training resources in the Fortinet training center. There are people who have some experience that could provide some guidelines to people who start with basic issues and basic tasks, to then grow with experience by implementing some maintenance windows. I rate FortiGate Next Generation Firewall a nine out of ten.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
On-premises
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer. Partner
IT manager at a university with 5,001-10,000 employees
With a good design in place, the tool also offers SNAT and DNAT functionalities to its users
Pros and Cons
- "FortiGate Next Generation Firewall's design is good...I am very impressed with the product's stability."
- "The solution's GUI is not very appealing."
What is most valuable?
FortiGate Next Generation Firewall's design is good. Technically, I haven't used many of its features. The primary purpose we use the solution in our organization is for its SNAT and DNAT functionalities. The solution is also used for its vulnerability patching mechanism.
What needs improvement?
The solution's GUI is not very appealing. When using a tool from another vendor, we found the GUI of that tool to be quite appealing. FortiGate Next Generation Firewall uses a very old type of GUI, which is not very appealing. The GUI can be improved.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using FortiGate Next Generation Firewall (NGFW) for six months. My company is just a customer of the product.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
I am very impressed with the product's stability. Stability-wise, I rate the solution an eight and a half out of ten.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
Scalability-wise, I rate the solution a six out of ten.
My company has 2,000 users of the product.
How are customer service and support?
I didn't need any support. The support is good. I wouldn't say the support is bad. I rate the support a seven and a half out of ten.
How would you rate customer service and support?
Neutral
How was the initial setup?
My company seeks the help of vendors to do the initial setup of the product. After that, we just work on policies, SNAT, DNAT, and virtual IPs.
The setup phase was neither difficult nor easy. I rate the setup phase as three or four out of ten on a scale where one is difficult, and ten is easy.
The solution is deployed on-premises.
The solution's deployment took two to three weeks.
Two people were required for the deployment of the product.
What about the implementation team?
The solution's vendor executed the setup phase.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
The solution's pricing is quite high when compared to other vendors. I rate the pricing an eight and a half on a scale of one to ten, where one is low, and ten is high.
What other advice do I have?
I highly recommend the solution to those planning to use it.
Overall, I rate the 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.
Principal Cybersecurity Officer at Smart Zambia Institute
A brilliant next-generation device with an SD-WAN that facilitates remote access
Pros and Cons
- "The most valuable feature of FortiGate Next Generation Firewall is its SD-WAN."
- "There's a limitation wherein you can only have about 30 virtual or secondary IPs on a particular interface."
What is most valuable?
The most valuable feature of FortiGate Next Generation Firewall is its SD-WAN. The way it has been structured makes life easier. We have used it for remote access, especially at the height of COVID. It works very well.
What needs improvement?
There are times when we would want to set an IP address on a physical interface and then attach secondary IPs or sub-interfaces on that. I'd like to have as many as possible. There's a limitation wherein you can only have about 30 virtual or secondary IPs on a particular interface. I would like that to be expanded to 254 or 256 secondary IPs.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using FortiGate Next Generation Firewall (NGFW) for five years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
I rate FortiGate Next Generation Firewall ten out of ten for stability.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
The good part of the solution is that you can have Virtual Domains (VDOMs) that allow you to use it for multiple use cases. Around 20,000 users are using FortiGate Next Generation Firewall in our organization.
I rate FortiGate Next Generation Firewall an eight out of ten for scalability.
How are customer service and support?
Whenever I have a problem and have to call their technical support team, I can email them. In the next few minutes, we'll get on a Zoom or Teams call and exchange notes.
How would you rate customer service and support?
Positive
How was the initial setup?
The solution’s initial setup was easy. I rate FortiGate Next Generation Firewall an eight out of ten for the ease of its initial setup.
What about the implementation team?
The solution's deployment does not take long. If everything goes fine, you will complete the initial configuration in an hour and test afterward. The testing phase is where you face issues. If you are migrating from another device to FortiGate, you would want everything that was running previously to run even on the newer one.
Three people were required for the solution's deployment, including an external person, myself, and a colleague.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
I rate FortiGate Next Generation Firewall a five out of ten for pricing.
Which other solutions did I evaluate?
I learned from some reviews that FortiGate ranks quite highly compared to Palo Alto and Check Point. Considering our budget, we thought we could manage with FortiGate Next Generation Firewall.
What other advice do I have?
I would strongly recommend FortiGate Next Generation Firewall to others because it's a brilliant next-generation device.
Overall, I rate FortiGate Next Generation Firewall 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.
Information Security Manager at Konew Fintech Corporation Limited
The solution helped improve our security through its encryption and integrated security features
Pros and Cons
- "There are multiple features I have found to be valuable, such as encryption and integrated security features."
- "The management consoles can be improved."
What is our primary use case?
I use FortiGate Next Generation Firewall for network protection using its DMZ network.
How has it helped my organization?
The solution has helped our network security.
What is most valuable?
There are multiple features I have found to be valuable, such as encryption and integrated security features.
What needs improvement?
The management consoles can be improved. I have used them before, and they are not so good.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using FortiGate Next Generation Firewall for over two years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
I would rate the solution eight out of ten points for stability.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
I rate the solution eight out of ten points for scalability. Over 200 people use it, some of whom are in IT.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
I used Palo Alto more than a year ago at my previous job.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup was easy, I rate it a nine out of ten. Deployment took several days, involving one or two people. The steps involved in the process are design, configuration and implementation, testing and implementation, and also some fine-tuning.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
I would rate pricing to be about four or five out of ten, it is reasonable.
What other advice do I have?
I recommend this solution because the price is reasonable and the performance is quite good. Overall I rate the solution an eight 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.
Security Team Lead at a outsourcing company with 1,001-5,000 employees
A highly stable and scalable solution for security with easy setup
Pros and Cons
- "FortiGate is a rapidly growing vendor with a wide range of ready-to-use products. Their delivery time is remarkably quick, usually between two to four weeks."
- "FortiGate NGFW can improve technical support. The engineer who answers the technical support call, email, or phone call, whatever the medium may be. The response time is very bad."
What is our primary use case?
We are a distributor of Fortinet products. My role primarily involves importing these products and delivering them to our partners and resellers, who in turn sell them to the end customers.
What is most valuable?
FortiGate is a rapidly growing vendor with a wide range of ready-to-use products. Their delivery time is remarkably quick, usually between two to four weeks. They provide excellent support, especially when it comes to helping resellers who may encounter implementation issues with Fortinet. The technical presales and support teams are readily available to assist them. So, there are definitely several benefits to working with Fortinet.
The interface, pricing, and support are good. FortiGate release new patches and offers regularly. In the integration file, they don't have anything to add because they have a very wide portfolio and models in the next-generation firewalls. FortiGate has a variety of add-on license tools that can be applied to the firewall.
FortiGate should continue to push them to continue to grow up as they've been growing for the last eight years.
What needs improvement?
FortiGate NGFW can improve technical support. The engineer who answers the technical support call, email, or phone call, whatever the medium may be. The response time is very bad.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been working with FortiGate Next Generation Firewall for eight years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
We don't have broken devices to be repaired or replaced with new ones, so they are very stable while working.
I rate the solution’s stability a ten out of ten.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
I rate the solution’s scalability a ten out of ten.
We have all types of business models and customers in our portfolio, such as the midsized business, enterprise, entry-level, and small businesses. We are working with all of that with all of the Fortinet solutions.
How are customer service and support?
The customer support is very slow. The engineer who answers the technical support call, email, or phone call, whatever the medium may be. The response time is very bad.
On the other hand, Cisco takes one or two hours to respond, while Fortinet takes a few days. This is an area that they could improve on a global scale.
How would you rate customer service and support?
Neutral
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup of the solution is easy, which is the most important feature for in-domain-wide resellers, partners, and customers. In the end, if you want to use Fortinet as a firewall administrator in your network, it is highly recommended because it is extremely easy to set up, especially for first-time users.
Even if you have previous experience with Cisco or Check Point, setting up Fortinet is easy. It is a very user-friendly configuration.
I rate the solution setup a ten out of ten. It is very user-friendly.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
FortiGate Next-Generation Firewall is cheaper than Cisco or CheckPoint or Palo Alto and more expensive than Barracuda or Sophos or any smaller brands. The prices fit right where they are on the global market.
What other advice do I have?
I advise you to buy it ASAP because it's a very good product.
From my experience as a distributor, some customers don't buy technical support on the devices. They buy only devices. I will advise them to buy the technical support of FortiCare service. In that case, they will have technical support by phone call, or by mail. They will have a replacement if anything is broken 24/7.
Overall, I rate the solution an eight out of ten.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
Public Cloud
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
Network Security Engineer at a tech services company with 1,001-5,000 employees
Helps secure the internal network and perform unified threat management, forward filtering, and application control
Pros and Cons
- "Fortinet FortiGate's ease of management is the most valuable feature."
- "The non-error conserve mode has room for improvement."
What is our primary use case?
I use Fortinet FortiGate to secure the internal network and perform unified threat management, forward filtering, and application control. This is crucial for the organizations and products I collaborate with on projects. The solution effectively addresses high availability through SD-WAN load balancing. Additionally, we rely on Fortinet FortiGate to resolve remote access issues for our clients.
How has it helped my organization?
Fortinet FortiGate has helped improve our reporting analysis, ease of management, and enhance the security of our environment.
What is most valuable?
Fortinet FortiGate's ease of management is the most valuable feature.
FortiGate offers numerous features that are designed to assist end users in gaining a clear understanding of the activities occurring within their network.
What needs improvement?
The non-error conserve mode has room for improvement.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using Fortinet FortiGate for eight years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
I rate the stability of FortiGate an eight out of ten.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
I rate the scalability of FortiGate a ten out of ten.
How are customer service and support?
The technical support has improved compared to the last few times I used it.
How would you rate customer service and support?
Positive
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
I had previously used a different solution but switched to Fortinet FortiGate due to its better price and ease of use.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup is straightforward. Depending on the customer's requirements and environment, the deployment can take anywhere from one day to a couple of weeks and can be completed by a single person.
What about the implementation team?
We implement the solution in-house.
What was our ROI?
I achieve approximately a 30 percent return on investment with FortiGate.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
Fortinet FortiGate is reasonably priced.
What other advice do I have?
I rate Fortinet FortiGate a nine out of ten.
Fortinet FortiGate is primarily utilized by medium to large organizations, although it can also be employed by small ones.
In terms of maintaining the solution, updates are typically performed to address bugs.
I highly recommend Fortinet FortiGate to others.
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. The reviewer's company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: Partner
Global Chief Information Officer at a manufacturing company with 1,001-5,000 employees
Provides solid protection against viruses, malware, and other threats
Pros and Cons
- "FortiGate improved our security. It's one of the best hardware firewalls."
- "It would be nice if FortiGate incorporated some built-in endpoint protection features. I would also like a built-in SOC dashboard for managing multiple Fortinet firewalls."
What is our primary use case?
We use FortiGate for our firewall. We have a typical business environment that includes end-user workstations, an ERP, web hosting solutions, etc. It's around 600 endpoints.
How has it helped my organization?
FortiGate improved our security. It's one of the best hardware firewalls. We're secured against various outside threats. It's hard to know how effective a firewall is if you aren't experiencing attacks. We haven't been affected, so we've seen the benefits of the solution from day one.
What is most valuable?
FortiGate provides solid protection against viruses, malware, and other threats.
What needs improvement?
It would be nice if FortiGate incorporated some built-in endpoint protection features. I would also like a built-in SOC dashboard for managing multiple Fortinet firewalls.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have used FortiGate for five years, including my work at my previous company.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
FortiGate is stable.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
FortiGate could be more scalable.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
I've used Cisco firewalls previously. FortiGate is a little better in terms of web protection, but it's more expensive.
How was the initial setup?
We had professional services deploy FortiGate. For maintenance, we have an annual maintenance contract, and there are periodic firmware upgrades. A network admin is responsible for maintenance.
What was our ROI?
We've seen a return in the form of greater security and threat protection.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
FortiGate is a little expensive. In addition to hardware and licensing, there are some implementation and maintenance costs.
What other advice do I have?
I rate Fortinet FortiGate a nine out of ten. I would recommend FortiGate, but Cisco is one of the best. The biggest lesson I've learned from using FortiGate is that it's crucial to install and maintain the solution properly.
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.
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Updated: August 2026
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