Fortinet FortiGate-VM Reviews

We employ Fortinet FortiGate-VM solely for testing purposes, similar to how we employ virtual machines in a virtual lab environment to evaluate solutions. When customers inquire about potential solutions, we typically construct and thoroughly test these solutions in our lab environment before providing confirmation. Once we've successfully conducted a proof of concept, we then extend an offer to the customer.

Both the hardware and virtual versions offer comprehensive capabilities required for perimeter network protection. Positioned at the network perimeter, they provide profiles that can be easily configured, including antivirus, DNS protection, web filtering, IPS, and application awareness for over five thousand applications. This allows for tailored configurations based on specific application usage within our network.

The scalability and flexibility of FortiGate VM have greatly benefited our organization. Its exceptional scalability allows us to adapt and expand according to our evolving needs.

Integrating FortiGate VM with our existing systems was straightforward, as I recall no difficulties during the process. I would rate it a solid ten out of ten for ease of integration.

The performance and availability of FortiGate-VM in our setup vary depending on the specific models chosen. We refer to data sheets and comparison tables to identify devices that meet our specific requirements. This involves considering factors such as performance metrics, encryption and decryption capabilities, and the number of secure connections supported. By comparing different models, we can select the one that best suits our needs.

The GUI of FortiGate is exceptional.

The features of FortiGate VM that we find most effective for network security include its universal operating system, which is the same across both hardware and virtual machine deployments. This consistency ensures that both real boxes and virtual machines run on identical images, accessible via both command line and graphical interfaces for convenience.

SD-WAN could be enhanced to provide a clear division between control and data planes, utilizing controllers to manage tasks within the network.

We have been using it for more than three years.

I am satisfied with its stability. I would rate it ten out of ten.

It provides outstanding scalability capabilities. I would rate it ten out of ten. 
We serve a diverse range of customers, including large government organizations in Ukraine and small businesses. FortiGate is suitable for a variety of customer types, accommodating the needs of both large enterprises and smaller organizations.

We haven't encountered any open trouble tickets in the past three years, so we don't have firsthand experience with how Fortinet handles cases.

The initial setup is straightforward, earning a rating of ten out of ten for ease of use. Compared to other options, it stands out as exceptionally simple, largely due to the extensive documentation provided by Fortinet. Additionally, numerous YouTube tutorials are available online, making it easy to find solutions without necessarily having to consult the documentation.

For deployment, FortiGate can be utilized in both on-premises and cloud environments, offering flexibility in its application. It can serve as a client-side perimeter device within a customer's network or function as a cloud-based service. Our organization predominantly offers cloud-based solutions, leveraging FortiGate installations at our Sentinel node facility. Here, we manage customer traffic by configuring it to pass through FortiGate, allowing us to provide next-generation firewall services to customers who lack their infrastructure. We tailor configurations to suit each customer's specific needs.

Alternatively, if a customer requires an on-premises solution, we may deploy a physical appliance at their site. In such cases, where the customer lacks the expertise to manage the firewall effectively, we offer a managed service option.

Deployment typically takes no more than a few hours, thanks to the straightforward installation process and the clarity of the documentation provided. Especially in simple configurations with uncomplicated topologies, deployment can be completed within minutes.

The price falls somewhere in the middle; it's neither cheap nor expensive. I would rate it five out of ten.

When purchasing an appliance, it's essential to acquire the accompanying subscription. This is crucial because frequent updates to antivirus profiles and other features are necessary, often occurring daily. Operating the device effectively requires a subscription from Fortinet, which we consistently purchase.

Fortinet FortiGate-VM is purpose-built as a next-generation firewall, excelling in its performance of this specific function. Its designated place in the network aligns perfectly with its capabilities, making it an ideal device for its intended purpose. Overall, I would rate it ten out of ten.

Fortinet FortiGate-VM is the best solution in an environment with less than 100 to 200 users.

In SonicWall, there is no need to buy two boxes for HA. SonicWall will work fine if you buy one box with the fully licensed set and get another box without a license. When it comes to Palo Alto Networks or Fortinet FortiGate-VM, people have to buy the same type of boxes with the same features to ensure that they get HA. The need to buy the same type of boxes with the same features to ensure that you get HA is one of the shortcomings of Fortinet FortiGate-VM when compared to SonicWall, where improvements are needed.

The product has a good reputation in the SMB industry market. The tool does not have a good name in the market, consisting of enterprise-class businesses, making it an area where the product lacks and needs to improve.

The price of the license needs to be improved.

I have been using Fortinet FortiGate-VM for around ten years.

The stability of the product is good. Stability-wise, I rate the solution an eight out of ten.

It is a scalable solution. Scalability-wise, I rate the solution an eight out of ten.

Around 100 people in my company use the product.

I have used other products from Fortinet, like Fortinet FortiGate 200F Series Data Sheet.

The product's initial setup phase was very easy since a lot of documentation was available.

The solution is deployed on the cloud and on an on-premises model.

For the Fortinet FortiGate-VM's installation, Fortinet provides the list of system resources needed, including details of the VMs, RAM, and CPUs needed.

The solution can be deployed in an hour.

The solution can be deployed with the help of in-house team members.

The product is worth the money since I can renew whatever features I get in the three-year or five-year pack that I buy. The ROI is good since I get free support.

The product is expensive. Users can opt for a one-year, two-year, three-year, or five-year subscription model when it comes to licensing. There is no need to pay any additional charges apart from the licensing costs of the solution.

Speaking about how the tool improved security within our company's virtualized environment, I would say that if I go for VPN, data in the cloud, or more number of users, then Palo Alto Networks is the best. If there is a smaller number of users, then Fortinet FortiGate-VM is good.

For an MNC organization, Palo Alto Networks is a good option. For Indian organizations, I recommend Fortinet FortiGate-VM.

A scenario where the solution was essential for cloud workload protection is applicable in a small company with 100 to 200 users of the product. If you need a tool without much of an investment, then it is better to choose Fortinet FortiGate-VM.

The most effective part of the tool that is useful for network threat prevention is Fortinet Secure SD-WAN, which is free of cost and is available with a large number of uplink ports, so the servers can directly have a firewall, which is not something that is possible for Palo Alto Networks.

I recommend the product to those who plan to use it. The product has a lot of customers in India.

If I consider Fortinet FortiGate-VM's growing network demands, I rate the scalability a seven to eight out of ten.

The management and configuration areas in the product are easy.

The product offers a lot of security tools to meet a lot of security needs. Fortinet allows you to add security solutions one by one in your environment.

Depending on the product's capability to deal with network scenarios and the use of internal and external firewalls, I rate the overall tool a ten out of ten.

I use the solution in my company mostly as a firewall product.

The strong point of the solution is that Fortinet FortiGate-VM is a good tool to spend money on, as its price is not as high as the ones offered by Palo Alto. Compared to Palo Alto's performance, most people like Fortinet FortiGate-VM. In general, Fortinet FortiGate-VM is a tool that is available for a good price, and its performance is comparable to that of Palo Alto and Check Point.

I believe that Fortinet FortiGate-VM makes improvements on a quarterly or yearly basis.

In Fortinet FortiGate-VM, the area around the configuration, performance monitoring, and GUI are not as easy as in Palo Alto. Fortinet FortiGate-VM's configuration part, performance monitoring, and GUI are areas where improvements are required.

The scalability feature of the solution has certain shortcomings, making it an area where improvements are required.

I have been using Fortinet FortiGate-VM for more than ten years. I work as the solution's system integrator. I use the solution's latest version.

It is a very stable solution. Stability-wise, I rate the solution an eight out of ten.

Scalability-wise, I rate the solution a six or seven out of ten.

My company deals with customers with various ranges regarding the number of users who use the solution. Some of the customers I deal with and who use the solution have around 500 users.

My company plans to increase the number of users of the solution in our company.

I am not about the online support services offered by Fortinet FortiGate-VM, but our company deals with local support for the solution, which is very good.

I rate the technical support a ten out of ten.

Positive

As a system integrator, my company not only provides services for Fortinet FortiGate-VM but also for products like Palo Alto and Check Point.

The product's initial setup phase was easy.

The solution is deployed on an on-premises model.

The product's installation phase takes three hours if our company's customers provide us with all the prerequisites required for the deployment.

Cost-wise, I would describe Fortinet FortiGate-VM as a tool that is available for a good price.

Two years ago, the price for the license of the product was affordable, but I think that in the present time, there has been an increase in the price of the product by around 30 percent, making it an expensive tool in the process. I rate the product price a three on a scale of one to ten, where one is a high price, and ten is a low price.

My team consists of around 15 engineers who help me take care of the technical aspects of the product.

I recommend the product to those who plan to use it. I rate the overall tool an eight and a half to nine out of ten.

Fortinet FortiGate-VM was used for our company's customers, but presently, most of our clients use Sophos UTM.

My company's clients use Fortinet FortiGate-VM to protect their entire internal network.

Fortinet FortiGate-VM has very good features. The most important factor about the product is that it is very intuitive. Fortinet FortiGate-VM is very handy compared to Check Point and Palo Alto.

With Fortinet FortiGate-VM, you get all the tools in the basic package, so there is no need to get a special platform for each component, which makes it much easier to implement.

The stability of the product is an area of concern where improvements are required.

The response time of the technical support team is an area of concern where improvements are needed.

I have been using Fortinet FortiGate-VM for a few years. My company has a partnership with Fortinet.

Stability-wise, I rate the solution a seven out of ten.

There are certain issues that users may face when they update Fortinet FortiGate-VM due to some bugs.

Considering that the machines work with the same operating system and in the same method in an environment, the use of the scalability feature is very easy.

Scalability-wise, I rate the solution an eight out of ten.

I work with our company's small, medium, and enterprise-sized clients who use the solution.

At times, you can get a quick answer from the support team, but for some cases or issues, it takes a long time for the technical team to respond.

I rate the technical support a seven out of ten.

Neutral

I have experience with Check Point and Palo Alto. The first firewall that my company worked with was Check Point, and we have used it for many years.

The product is easy to implement.

The solution is deployed on the cloud and on an on-premises model.

The complexity of the organization determines the time required to deploy the solution. Basically, it takes three hours to deploy the product, and for a big company, it takes two days.

One good engineer is enough to take care of the deployment phase of the product.

The pricing of the product depends on a company's negotiation skills, and if a company can't get it at a good price, there are other tools that can be purchased from the market.

I rate the product price a seven on a scale of one to ten, where one is a low price, and ten is a high price.

Our company needs to make either a yearly or a three-year payment towards the licensing charges attached to the product. There are no additional costs attached to the solution apart from the tool's licensing charges.

Fortinet FortiGate-VM is a very good product.

The maintenance of the product is very easy. One person is required to take care of the maintenance of the product.

I recommend the product to those who plan to use it. Before buying the product, people should consider the ease of implementation Fortinet FortiGate-VM offers.

Check Point is the best when it comes to monitoring and investigating logs. In general, the most important thing users should consider is that the implementation part should be good, for which Fortinet FortiGate-VM is the best.

I rate the overall tool an eight out of ten.

We deploy the tool for customers who want a firewall in front of their cloud environment. We can use it for anything they want to protect in their data center or private cloud.

The solution has given us a good revenue stream and a better solution for our customers for network security. The product can take our customer’s basic firewall and take it to the next level and give them much more visibility and control over the traffic.

All the security features that are built into the product are valuable. It includes web filtering, DNS filtering, and intrusion prevention. FortiGate is the best firewall in the market. It pretty much does most things.

Support could be improved a little.

I have been using the solution for four and a half years.

I rate the solution’s stability a ten out of ten.

I rate the tool’s scalability a ten out of ten.

Sometimes, we get really good, knowledgeable engineers. At other times, it feels like we got somebody who started that day. We have to go through the wringer with them.

Neutral

The initial setup was very easy.

I have seen an ROI on the product.

The price is pretty decent compared to other products. The product’s licensing must be a little cheaper.

If you're looking for an enterprise-level next-generation firewall, go with FortiGate. It’s hands down the best value for what you pay. Overall, I rate the solution a ten out of ten.

Our primary requirement is security. We are using it as part of our enterprise deployment with Fortinet. Currently, we are doing the firewalls using these appliances.

We are a services company that provides IT solutions for many other customers. As an IT service provider, we have different requirements from different customers and support them.

There is room for improvement in the pricing model. The pricing is expensive, but pricing should be competitive, and it should be unit-based pricing.

We have a decade of experience with Fortinet FortiGate-VM. We have different versions.

The stability is good. I would rate it a nine out of ten.

I rate scalability a ten out of ten because its mesh architecture allows consistent policies. Additionally, we can keep adding points and integrate them into the same dish, making it easy to scale up as needed.

The customer service and support team is of high quality. The reason is that we are a preferred partner and vendor for Fortinet. So, they are available whenever we call them, and we have no problems. We have a specialized team that is deployed only for our organization.

Positive

I would rate the initial setup a nine out of ten, where one is difficult, and ten is easy. You need to deploy it on a virtual appliance. Deploying the appliance itself is usually straightforward, but designing the architecture and arranging the solution can be challenging for many customers.

We deploy it on both on-prem and cloud, depending on the customer's preference. Our architecture is a mesh architecture. It depends on the customer's requirements. We choose the type of appliances and the capacity required to run. For instance, for a customer with a thousand workloads utilizing a Fortinet gateway, we would select the physical appliances that best suit their needs for on-prem deployment.

Conversely, we would use a mesh configuration with consistent policies across cloud engines for a data interface in the cloud. So, we've used both ways. We use a virtual version on-premises, physical appliances on-premises, and virtual appliances inside the cloud.

The whole deployment takes around four weeks to three months, depending on the architecture. It is quite a broad process, but if I summarize, we typically start with a high-level solution design and then move into the low-level details, such as port configuration and traffic flow. Finally, we move on to the actual deployment phase.

I would rate it a five, where one is low, and ten is high. We usually do monthly licensing costs as we don't invest capital and do more OpEx-based pricing.

My advice is if you have to go with the complete stack, go with the complete stack, not the replacement-only product. Don't look at it as a replacement. Choose a platform.

Overall, I would rate it a nine out of ten. The reason is that I have a next-generation firewall. Fortinet FortiGate-VM provides various deployment options, such as physical or virtual devices, and it can be easily integrated with public clouds. Additionally, I can integrate it with other Fortinet products like network access control or zero trust network access in a single step, which is very convenient. Their security stack portfolio works well with my hybrid mesh firewall, and I am satisfied with its integration capabilities.

We have had a very good experience with Fortinet FortiGate-VM. They are usually the first choice for us when it comes to designing. We have certain products for certain purposes, and this one is our preferred choice for firewall purposes.

Moreover, They have hardware appliances that can be deployed on-premise, virtual appliances deployed on the cloud, and a mesh that can form a cluster. It's very good.

I primarily use the solution as a firewall. It's used for security. I use it for the DMZ. It's related to architecture and is strategically positioned in the network. 

Based on its position, it offers good control over the communication between users and the data center. It's a good unified solution, and you can manage everything from the Fortigate portal.

It's a familiar solution to our clients. We don't spend time selling it. The brand is very popular and recognizable. 

The solution integrates well with other Fortinet products.

The pricing is fine. 

It's a good solution for small to medium-sized companies. 

The integration can be a bit easier. You need to maintain the integrations. You shouldn't have to. For example, in Cisco, you don't have to maintain integration that same way.

The support could be a bit better.

There are no missing features or items we would like to see in the future.

This is not a good solution for enterprises. It's better for smaller companies. 

I've used the solution for the last six years. 

The solution is mostly stable. I'd rate it six out of ten. The updates and availability, however, are not so smooth. 

The solution is not so scalable. It's not necessarily difficult to scale. However, it is not easy either. 

I'd rate the scalability seven out of ten overall. 

Typically, my clients are small to medium-sized entities. 

I'd like to see better support. They are okay. They could be better.

Positive

I also have experience with Cisco solutions.

At the perimeter, we also use Palo Alto. 

The initial setup is very easy. It's not complex. I'd rate the ease o setup eight out of ten. 

The deployment might take two to three days. It's pretty fast to get everything up and running. 

I did not handle the deployment in a hands-on way, so I don't have information on the technicalities in terms of what steps were taken.

The pricing is okay. I'd rate it eight out of ten in terms of affordability.

I'm a Fortinet reseller. I'm not sure which version of the solution we're using. We're likely using version seven or six. 

We use cloud and on-premises deployments. 

I'd recommend the solution to other small or medium-sized companies. I would not recommend it to enterprises. 

I would rate the solution eight out of ten. It is unified, and it is easy to integrate into other Fortinet products. 

The use case of FortiGate-VM is primarily for securing the perimeter of private clouds in the dedicated environment created for customers. This can be achieved through a virtual appliance or physical hardware solution. Beyond only perimeter security, some customers also require DDoS services, and FortiGate-VM can provide this through its own solutions that can be combined and offered as a bundle to meet the specific needs of the customer.

The solution can be deployed on-premise and on the cloud too.

The most valuable features of Fortinet FortiGate-VM are its flexibility and scalability. This solution is available as a license, which allows us to activate it based on the specific needs of the customer. This gives us and the customer a great deal of versatility and customization options. 

There is always room for improvement in any solutions, including Fortinet's FortiGate-VM. Although the solution claims to have a superior throughput compared to other OEMs, upon closer examination and comparison, there is potential for significant improvement in this area. In today's rapidly evolving technology world, it is important to continuously strive for enhancement and development, and I believe Fortinet can make significant strides in this direction for the FortiGate-VM.

I have been using Fortinet FortiGate-VM for approximately 18 years.

The solution is stable.

I rate the stability of Fortinet FortiGate-VM an eight out of ten.

The solution is scalable, it can be easily and effectively expanded as the customer's requirements grow and change. This makes it an incredibly agile solution that can be tailored to meet even the most demanding demands. There is some room for improvement in this area.

The solution is suitable for small to enterprise-sized companies.

I rate the scalability of Fortinet FortiGate-VM an eight out of ten.

The support from Fortinet FortiGate-VM is excellent, it is one of their strongest points.

I rate the support from Fortinet FortiGate-VM a nine out of ten.

Positive

The initial setup of the solution is simple because everything comes with GUI. The entire infrastructure for the customer is simple to set up with the GUI.

The choice between an on-premise or cloud solution is a decision that ultimately depends on the specific needs and requirements of the customer. Currently, there is a trend towards utilizing cloud-based products as they offer a wider selection and can be easily deployed. On the other hand, some customers may prefer an on-premise setup, which involves deploying physical equipment on the customer's premises or a virtual machine from an OEM. The cloud solution offers greater agility, flexibility, and speed but can also present challenges, especially in the semiconductor industry where delivery times may be longer due to stress in the market. In conclusion, both options have their own advantages and disadvantages, and the decision between them should be based on the specific requirements of the customer.

Taking into consideration the magnitude of the entire implementation, the deployment process could potentially take approximately three weeks, assuming all necessary components are readily available for the physical setup. After this stage, the User Acceptance Testing (UAT) phase commences, which may last for an additional week. Subsequently, before the final implementation into production, the customer would conduct a final UAT to ensure all elements have been successfully deployed and functioning as intended.

I rate the initial setup of Fortinet FortiGate-VM an eight out of ten.

The price of the solution is competitive. Fortinet FortiGate-VM had a lot of advantages when it came to pricing. However, the competition has also geared up to a larger extent and it has become comparable now to the other solutions.

In terms of security, it is crucial to understand that the cost of security measures should not be the sole determining factor. The security of your overall infrastructure and setup must be a top priority, regardless of the price of security appliances or OEMs. However, when considering the entire solution, including the security infrastructure, the cost will play a crucial role in the final decision-making process.

It is imperative to choose the best available options, but the cost of the entire solution should not be exorbitant and prevent it from gaining approval from clients.

I rate the price of Fortinet FortiGate-VM an eight out of ten.

When evaluating the overall solution, it is important to consider both the benefits and drawbacks. Fortinet FortiGate-VM presents a multitude of advantages that make it a fantastic product choice. It offers exceptional stability, a scalable design, and unparalleled support from the manufacturer. It is with great confidence that I wholeheartedly recommend Fortinet as a reliable and valuable solution.

I would recommend this solution to others as long as it's fulfilling the requirements of the customer.

I rate Fortinet FortiGate-VM an eight out of ten.