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Sakthivel  Kannan - PeerSpot reviewer
Assistant Manager at Sify Technologies
Real User
Good security and reliability with helpful support
Pros and Cons
  • "We found the initial setup to be straightforward."
  • "Right now, we have to contend with CLI. We'd like it to be easier. We need the features to be in a UI."

What is our primary use case?

We are using it for security purposes. 

What is most valuable?

The security on offer is good.

It's quite stable.

The scalability has been great.

We found the initial setup to be straightforward. 

Technical support has been good overall. 

What needs improvement?

The UI could be a bit better. The coming generation will not be from the Sierra, and therefore they have a chance to make it much better and more user-friendly. Right now, we have to contend with CLI. We'd like it to be easier. We need the features to be in a UI.

For how long have I used the solution?

I've been using the solution for more than five years. 

Buyer's Guide
Fortinet FortiOS
May 2025
Learn what your peers think about Fortinet FortiOS. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: May 2025.
851,823 professionals have used our research since 2012.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

The solution has proven to be stable and reliable. The performance is good. There are no bugs or glitches. It doesn't crash or freeze. 

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

We find the solution to be quite scalable. If you need to expand it, you can do so.

We have more than 5,000 people on the solution right now. 

How are customer service and support?

Technical support has been good in general. They are helpful and responsive. I have no complaints in regard to their level of service. 

How would you rate customer service and support?

Positive

How was the initial setup?

It offers a pretty simple and straightforward setup. I'd rate it four out of five in terms of ease of implementation. It's not something that's too complex or difficult. 

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

I don't have many details surrounding the licensing. It's not an aspect I directly deal with. My understanding is the solution is moderately priced.

What other advice do I have?

We are Fortinet partners. 

If a company is looking for a local security enhancement, we tend to recommend or select this kind of solution.

I'd rate the product nine out of ten overall. 

Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: Partner
PeerSpot user
it_user1258791 - PeerSpot reviewer
Consultant at ZAM Food Industry Pvt Ltd
Real User
Great secure VPN encryption and bulk packet monitoring but should be controlled in the local environment as well
Pros and Cons
  • "The product is scalable and easily expands."
  • "It should also manage the local DSCP network."

What is most valuable?

The best aspects of the solution are the wire signature and VPN, secure VPN encryption, and bulk packet monitoring.

It is a stable product. 

The product is scalable and easily expands. 

Setting up the solution is easy.

We like the technical support on offer. 

What needs improvement?

It should be controlled in the local environment as well. Its gateway security is more powerful. However, it should also manage the local DSCP network, so the policies, local LAN policies, and other stuff should be there.

For how long have I used the solution?

I've been using the solution for the last two years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

The stability is good. 

It's running in many places and in different organizations. There's a huge market.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

 I found the solution to be scalable. 

We use it in more than one location. We have more than four or five people using it at each location. 

How are customer service and support?

Technical support's good. When we register a ticket, they are always prompt in their response. There are two types of support. It's paid or unpaid support, depending on the service we are using.

How would you rate customer service and support?

Positive

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

We've also used SonicWall. 

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup is straightforward. It's not complex, You should know where it exists in the OS. Then you can work with it easily. Otherwise, the complexity is something you have to contend with for a new user.

What was our ROI?

We have witnessed an ROI. 

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

You need to repurchase a license every year or two. Costs are negotiable and sometimes they offer promotional prices. A yearly subscription might be around $20,000 to $30,000.

What other advice do I have?

We're a customer and end-user.

We would recommend the solution.

Fortinet is a good product. However, other products are good as well. It really depends on the customer experience.

I'd rate the solution seven out of ten due to the cost of quality of services, and due to the fact that we know other firewalls are more powerful than Fortinet. That said, Fortinet is very economical and gives us an appropriate solution based on what we require.

Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: Partner
PeerSpot user
Buyer's Guide
Fortinet FortiOS
May 2025
Learn what your peers think about Fortinet FortiOS. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: May 2025.
851,823 professionals have used our research since 2012.
YoussefElhaddad - PeerSpot reviewer
IT Manager at ABB Enterprise Software Group
Real User
Great for data protection and good customer service and support
Pros and Cons
  • "The stability of Fortinet FortiOS is great."
  • "The product needs a feature that allows users to create another site on a VPN."

What is our primary use case?

The solution is great for data protection in our company, including site too site and SSH.

What is most valuable?

The stability of Fortinet FortiOS is great.

What needs improvement?

The product needs a feature that allows users to create another site on a VPN.

For how long have I used the solution?

We have used this solution with our clients for two years and are currently using version 11. Additionally, we deploy this solution on-premises.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

The solution is stable.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

The solution is scalable. We have a large number of clients using this solution with their users.

How are customer service and support?

We have had a good experience with customer service and support. They are very fast.

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup was very easy to configure.

What about the implementation team?

We implemented it through our in-house technical team.

What other advice do I have?

I rate this solution a nine out of ten. The solution is very good but needs a feature that allows users to create another site on a VPN.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

On-premises
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
Senior Manager IT at Tata International Limited
Real User
Feature-rich and secure UTM box with fantastic support
Pros and Cons
  • "The information security features are the most valuable."
  • "It would be great if they can push the Microsoft updates through Fortinet OS and provide a centralized patch management system. They should also include the data loss prevention (DLP) and data leakage prevention features. They could also add network monitoring more effectively."

What is our primary use case?

We're using it for web filtering, intrusion prevention system (IPS), intrusion detection system (IDS), and VPN. We are also using it as DSCP.

What is most valuable?

The information security features are the most valuable. 

What needs improvement?

It would be great if they can push the Microsoft updates through Fortinet OS and provide a centralized patch management system.

They should also include the data loss prevention (DLP) and data leakage prevention features. They could also add network monitoring more effectively.

For how long have I used the solution?

We have been using Fortinet FortiOS for nearly seven years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

It is very much stable.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

It is very scalable. We have a global presence in more than 23 countries. 

How are customer service and technical support?

We are satisfied with the support. They provide fantastic support. They provide online support, and on priority, they also provide a remote session.

How was the initial setup?

It is extremely easy to set up.

What about the implementation team?

We deployed it ourselves.

What other advice do I have?

This particular solution will be in a firewall. It's not a firewall, but it is a unified threat management (UTM) box. It acts as a firewall, plus it has many features like web filtering, VPN, DSCP, IPS, and IDS. It also has the high availability (HA) feature. You are getting a very good solution with all these features combined into one box.

I would rate Fortinet FortiOS a nine out of ten. We will surely keep using Fortinet FortiOS because it is a great and very secure product. We intend to only go with this product.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

On-premises
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
reviewer1297902 - PeerSpot reviewer
Sr. Architect at a manufacturing company with 10,001+ employees
Real User
Highly user-centric, performs well, but more GUI functionality needed
Pros and Cons
  • "The most valuable features of Fortinet FortiOS are its simplicity, highly user-centric, and performs well. The line speed and for heavy traffic, is helpful for us."
  • "Fortinet FortiOS can improve by limiting the need for the CLI and GUI combination. The more functions they can have on the GUI and less on CLI would be helpful."

What is most valuable?

The most valuable features of Fortinet FortiOS are its simplicity, highly user-centric, and performs well. The line speed and for heavy traffic, is helpful for us.

What needs improvement?

Fortinet FortiOS can improve by limiting the need for the CLI and GUI combination. The more functions they can have on the GUI and less on CLI would be helpful.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have used Fortinet FortiOS within the last 12 months.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

The stability of Fortinet FortiOS has been good, I have not had any issues at this point.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

Fortinet FortiOS scalability has been good. However, we only have a small setup. 

How are customer service and support?

The support offered by Fortinet FortiOS is good.

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup of Fortinet FortiOS is straightforward.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

The price of Fortinet FortiOS is less than $10,000 annually. The price of the support is reasonable compared to competitors.

What other advice do I have?

I rate Fortinet FortiOS a seven out of ten.

Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
Andrey Kurtasanov - PeerSpot reviewer
Consultant at Orange
Real User
Reliable, low maintenance, and installation simple
Pros and Cons
  • "I have found the most valuable feature of Fortinet FortiOS is the low maintenance."
  • "The central management can improve in Fortinet FortiOS. It is sometimes difficult to manage all the devices."

What is our primary use case?

Fortinet FortiOS provides a full UTM experience, including UTM profiles, firewall rules, remote access, VPN connection, IPSec, and SSL connection.

What is most valuable?

I have found the most valuable feature of Fortinet FortiOS is the low maintenance.

What needs improvement?

The central management can improve in Fortinet FortiOS. It is sometimes difficult to manage all the devices.

I wrote my opinion about changes to the SSL-VPN authentication directly on the Fortinet forum, and they said that right now they will not change it. Hopefully, in the future, they will change the SSL-VPN authentication for groups and users.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using Fortinet FortiOS for approximately five years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

The stability of Fortinet FortiOS depends on the operation being done. If we are using the basic functions I would rate the stability of Fortinet FortiOS a five out of five. If we are using the advanced functionality I would rate the stability a three out of five. Overall the solution is stable.

How are customer service and support?

The support from Fortinet FortiOS is good. However, there are times they give a five out of five level of support and whereas other times they give a one out of five.

How was the initial setup?

Fortinet FortiOS's installation is easy.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

The scalability of Fortinet FortiOS is good. However, central management is intuitive for the end-users. We had a lot of questions about central management, and sometimes they didn't use it and did their firewall management directly on FortiGate instead of using Fortinet FortiOS.

What other advice do I have?

My advice to others is for them to read the instructions on how to use the solution.

I rate Fortinet FortiOS a nine out of ten.

Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
Senior Network & Security Engineer at a tech services company with 51-200 employees
Real User
Easy to manage, effective intrusion prevention, and useful geographical visibility
Pros and Cons
  • "The main features I find useful are intrusion prevention and web filtering. Additionally, the solution is easy to manage."
  • "The solution could improve the log retention and reports."

What is our primary use case?

I am using Fortinet FortiOS in conjunction with a firewall for our network security.

How has it helped my organization?

This solution has helped our organization prevent multiple attacks. It has been beneficial having geographical visibility of what threat is being blocked in real-time.

What is most valuable?

The main features I find useful are intrusion prevention and web filtering. Additionally, the solution is easy to manage.

What needs improvement?

The solution could improve the log retention and reports.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using Fortinet FortiOS for approximately eight years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

The solution is stable.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

Fortinet FortiOS is scalable.

We have different size organizations using this solution and when determining if it fits the organization's it depends on their use case.

How are customer service and technical support?

We have been satisfied with the technical support.

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup is straightforward.

What was our ROI?

I have found Fortinet FortiOS to be a good investment.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

The price of Fortinet FortiOS has been reasonable.

Which other solutions did I evaluate?

We have evaluated other solutions, such as SonicWall, Palo Alto, Cyberoam, and Check Point before choosing Fortinet FortiOS.

What other advice do I have?

I would recommend this solution.

I rate Fortinet FortiOS 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: Implementor
PeerSpot user
Network and Security Engineer at Neurones
Real User
Easy setup and has good stability
Pros and Cons
  • "The initial setup is easy. It's the easiest firewall installation process on the market. I work with three or four other products and this one is the easiest."
  • "In terms of what needs improvements, the troubleshooting could use improvement. When we work with other products like Cisco ASA, Palo Alto, and Check Point, we see a big difference in the troubleshooting. It's not easy to find a report."

What is our primary use case?

We use the on-prem deployment model of this solution. We use the standard model for our clients. 

What needs improvement?

In terms of what needs improvements, the troubleshooting could use improvement. When we work with other products like Cisco ASA, Palo Alto, and Check Point, we see a big difference in the troubleshooting. It's not easy to find a report. In order to overcome the problem, you have to install FortiAnalyzer to help you find the troubleshooting problem. FortiOS has its limitations.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

I work with many products but this is the most stable OS I have seen. With Cisco, for example, if you do an upgrade, it's not guaranteed that the production will be stable. The upgraded release will release many bugs. FortiOS isn't like this. 

There is something called Fortinet Fabric that helps you to enforce your security by connecting all of your products with FortiGate. For example, if you install FortiClient on your PC it will help you use the VPN and the antivirus. When there is an issue, if you have 1,000 users with FortiClient will send a message to FortiGate. I have many projects and I use FortiManager to manage them. It helps my team minimize implementation time.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

We have thousands of user using this solution. Only one person is required for the deployment. 

How are customer service and technical support?

Their technical support has its positives and negatives. If you contact them, they are responsive and interactive and they have good solutions to the problem. The issue is with the support documents. When you need to do something advanced, there isn't good documentation for it. For basic tasks, there are plenty of videos and information but for advanced tasks or solutions, there is not.  

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup is easy. It's the easiest firewall installation process on the market. I work with three or four other products and this one is the easiest. 

The time it takes to deploy will depend on the needs of the company and how complex they are. A basic installation will take one hour. 

What other advice do I have?

It's important to have 24/7 support because the documentation is poor and you will need the support. It's important to have a support team and a support contract. 

I would rate it a nine out of ten. Not a ten because of the troubleshooting. Other solutions have a mechanism to find your IP network. Cisco has something called Packet Tracer which is very advanced that helps you test your configuration. It really helps the engineers to test without affecting the product environment.   

Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
Buyer's Guide
Download our free Fortinet FortiOS Report and get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions.
Updated: May 2025
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Buyer's Guide
Download our free Fortinet FortiOS Report and get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions.