We deploy the FortiGate Next Generation Firewall (NGFW) mainly in education, with retail, big retails, and other industries such as manufacturing, agriculture, and some banking.

Some of the best features with the FortiGate Next Generation Firewall (NGFW) particularly are its security focus, the easy to configure IPS, the Layer 7 capabilities, and the easy way to configure different VDOMs in each equipment so we can separate the different features or the different sites that the client may use in one data center.

The application control feature has helped manage the network traffic with filtering and antivirus capabilities. When we use it in SD-WAN solutions, we can apply in a unified and easy way the different profiles for each branch, and we can also have one profile for the hub if they have a data center with some servers connecting to the FortiGate. We can have different profiles, and it helps us to detect easily any threat that we may have in the network and control the outbound traffic to the internet, restricting those applications or those web services that the final users don't need to have access to.

The FortiGate Next Generation Firewall (NGFW)'s anti-malware protection is very effective, as we have demonstrated through our work with this feature.

The FortiGate's analytic tools have provided insights into network security events by implementing the IOC license, Indicator of Compromise, in some customers, which has been very helpful because it demonstrates that we can identify the threats more easily or the difference in the way that the customers use the network. We can identify the possible behavior of the customers on the network and can identify the possible threats and isolate that customer if we receive any threat for the network or the company.

The web filtering has also helped for maintaining network security because we have been implementing some filters in customers so they don't have access to potential sites that can make a threat to our network, for example, to access peer-to-peer networks or any other sites that are not allowed in the company.

The FortiGate Next Generation Firewall (NGFW) could be improved in application control if they can have a bigger baseline of applications that they can identify, because this is something that is always growing. I know that Fortinet with the team is updating this database, but it's something that grows at a pace that is very difficult sometimes to keep up. This applies to all vendors, not only Fortinet.

I would rate their support for the FortiGate Next Generation Firewall (NGFW) on a scale of one to ten as 7.5.

Positive

The pricing for the FortiGate Next Generation Firewall (NGFW) is fair.

My company has a business relationship with Fortinet as we are both resellers and we also use the technology. If they had any questions regarding my feedback on the FortiGate solution, not the NGFW, but the FortiGate, it would be okay for them to contact me in that regard. I rate the FortiGate Next Generation Firewall (NGFW) 8.5 out of 10.

On-premises

Amazon Web Services (AWS)

We put FortiGate Next Generation Firewall (NGFW) after the ISP; we use the internet, and before we put our server through the internet, we put FortiGate Next Generation Firewall (NGFW) as a firewall in our internal network.

We follow ISO 27001, which includes web filtering, spam, and IPS functionality.

We sometimes face challenges if we have new server configurations and need to consider compatibility with FortiGate.

We hope that FortiGate uses AI to carefully identify something abnormal, and we believe that will be helpful.

The multi-threat protection feature helps us secure our organization.

We understand that FortiGate cannot be standalone without others, such as FortiManager, so for small businesses, if FortiGate can provide something similar to FortiManager, it will be better.

I have been using FortiGate Next Generation Firewall (NGFW) for about nine years.

I would rate the stability of FortiGate Next Generation Firewall (NGFW) as a nine.

I would rate the scalability as a nine also.

I would rate the technical support as a seven.

The installation of FortiGate Next Generation Firewall (NGFW) is actually moderate; it depends on the needs, so it's not so easy but it's not so difficult.

The installation requires a couple of days, and actually, it takes about one day because some parameters need to be set, especially if there are a lot of users.

I have a person in charge of that.

From a cost perspective, I think it's quite reasonable, not so cheap, but I think it's quite similar compared to others.

Two people are involved in the maintenance.

We use many FortiGates. We are using the 60F and 100F, which are the newest versions.

Our staff handles maintenance ourselves; we are not using a third-party service.

About 30 people are using this product in our organization.

We are payroll outsourcing consultants, so basically they calculate payroll.

I would recommend FortiGate Next Generation Firewall (NGFW) to others.

I would rate FortiGate Next Generation Firewall (NGFW) in general as an eight.

On-premises

In a scenario where FortiGate Next Generation Firewall (NGFW) notably enhanced my customer's network performance, we discussed many points. The graphical user interface is very good, both feature-wise and technology-wise.

The effective feature in FortiGate Next Generation Firewall (NGFW) is DLP.The FortiGate Next Generation Firewall (NGFW) has the feature image of 7100 D.

In FortiGate Next Generation Firewall (NGFW), my concern regarding improvements is the licensing model. In the latest versions, everything moves to licensing only, and to work from SSL VPNs and integrate those features, it is similar across all vendors, but my main concern is the DLP part, which has not advanced significantly.Regarding the AI capabilities of FortiGate Next Generation Firewall (NGFW), these AI features are not present in the latest versions, which is why we are working on those versions. They aren't suitable in a live environment, and while AI features exist, I don't have details about their availability in versions after 7.0, as I believe only versions 6.0 and below have those features.For future improvements in FortiGate Next Generation Firewall (NGFW), features-wise, SD-WAN enhancements are expected, especially in configuration or viewing SD-WAN monitoring, as some minor enhancements would be beneficial.The complexity in configuring the policies needs improvement, and the SD-WAN template should be available in the tunnel. When we create the tunnel, we need to add in SD-WAN, allowing the creation of VPN tunnels from SD-WAN, which requires technical expertise to configure. Automating that would strongly enhance it, as SD-WAN is number one now with FortiGate, and going forward, more customers will move to FortiGate.

FortiGate Next Generation Firewall (NGFW) is recommended for various industries, and its GUI has many enhancements in the latest version, making everything good.In FortiGate Next Generation Firewall (NGFW), we are expecting the effective DLP feature with threat detection capabilities, which works with deep inspection. Some customers are not accepting to install the applications, and sometimes in the guest tunnel, content filtering should be blocked, such as domain blocking for Gmail, as users access only their particular consumer account. If they try to access personal accounts, it should be blocked, requiring configuration settings with deep inspection that needs certificates installed in all systems, which is a time-consuming process that some customers do not accept, questioning the need for installing certificates without deep inspection.The licensing model for FortiGate Next Generation Firewall (NGFW) depends on various types such as the earlier UTM license, FortiCare, and Enterprise license. The Enterprise license includes all features such as FortiManager, FortiAnalyzer, and converter. The UTM licenses include only UTM features such as AV, web filtering, application control, and IPS, while FortiCare is only for hardware.

In our organization, FortiGate Next Generation Firewall (NGFW) serves as the main security system for our firewall needs. I have utilized it to manage the firewalls and some other security appliances, such as VPNs. Currently, my usage focuses primarily on firewall management. I set up rules, search for logs, and consult logs when issues arise. This approach covers most of our security management tasks.

One of the most valuable features of FortiGate Next Generation Firewall (NGFW) is the ease of usability it offers. It is quite easy for me to learn to use. Additionally, FortiGate Next Generation Firewall (NGFW) has improved our efficiency in setting up security and provided us with more visibility over some issues and incidents we previously faced.

FortiGate Next Generation Firewall (NGFW) could be improved by including more templates for setting rules or regular jobs. I do not recall if the software includes any AI features.

I have had experience with FortiGate Next Generation Firewall (NGFW) for about five or six years.

When deploying FortiGate Next Generation Firewall (NGFW), it required one week for the initial setup and just two hours for effective deployment. There were no significant issues during this process.

In my experience, there are usually no significant stability issues with FortiGate Next Generation Firewall (NGFW). However, updating the software during issues can be quite convoluted, especially if there is an unexpected attack, such as on a Saturday.

Customer service with Fortinet for FortiGate Next Generation Firewall (NGFW) has been quite good. We experienced a major issue during one of the upgrades, and it took about an hour to reach support and rectify the problem.

Positive

Before using FortiGate Next Generation Firewall (NGFW), we used Cisco for our firewall needs. Cisco presented a lot of usability challenges. Setting up firewalls and rules with Cisco was difficult and required extensive knowledge of their system, which led us to switch to FortiGate Next Generation Firewall (NGFW).

The initial setup of FortiGate Next Generation Firewall (NGFW) was relatively smooth. It took about one week for the complete setup and two hours for the actual deployment.

The deployment involved two people from my side, and we also had assistance from a vendor during the setup.

In terms of return on investment, FortiGate Next Generation Firewall (NGFW) has been straightforward. It has notably improved our efficiency and visibility.

The pricing of FortiGate Next Generation Firewall (NGFW) is reasonably affordable. It is suitable for mid-level and high-level companies, though it might not be cheap for small companies.

I would recommend FortiGate Next Generation Firewall (NGFW) to others. Despite some issues with upgrades and vulnerabilities, Fortinet quickly addresses concerns. Overall, on a scale of one to ten, I would rate FortiGate Next Generation Firewall (NGFW) as an eight.

I use the FortiGate firewall for ordinary firewall functions, including SSL inspection, VPN, and site-to-site VPN.

The most valuable features of the FortiGate firewall include SSL inspection, VPN functionality, and threat intelligence features for preventing threats. These features are essential and provide significant functionality for our organization.

There should be more testing before releasing software since it can be a little buggy sometimes when new features come out after updates.

I have been working with the FortiGate firewall for many years.

I am satisfied with Fortinet support. Usually, it is fast and provides advice effectively.

The initial setup of FortiGate was an easy process. It took about three months for a full deployment across the entire organization.

The FortiGate firewall provides good value for the money. It usually is cheaper than the competition, contributing to cost savings.

The pricing of the FortiGate firewall is good. It offers cost savings as it is generally cheaper than the competition.

Palo Alto is an alternative solution. While it may be better for filtering and category white-listing, especially in areas like banking, it is more expensive than FortiGate.

Overall, I would rate FortiGate an eight out of ten. 

For some use cases like banking, Palo Alto may perform better due to its filtering capabilities.

The company uses FortiGate to offer protection for clients transitioning from MPLS to Internet, ensuring security for this new type of connection. In Brazil, clients typically seek protection, and FortiGate is used to offer such solutions. We start with this new kind of connection, explaining and training clients about the product.

With the FortiGate solutions, I see a benefit in controlling the bandwidth and managing users' access. It's important for leading the market and helping IT managers use the solution.

The common valuable feature for FortiGate is its UTM functionality, which includes various features under a license that is commonly implemented. FortiGate is widely used across fifty percent of the solutions in Brazil, making it a prevalent choice for many clients. It's beneficial because it allows the orchestration of networks with multiple vendors like Huawei, Cisco, and Juniper.

Improvements could be made when companies expand and need better equipment and more licenses. Additionally, a way to upgrade equipment when increasing Internet bandwidth is necessary. Companies often have to quickly close negotiations due to exchange rate changes affecting budgets.

I have had about five years of experience with FortiGate.

FortiGate offers good support, especially for telcos that have engineers inside the SOC to provide solutions to problems.

Positive

Previously, I worked with FortiGate. Now, I am studying to use Huawei. My current company has various solutions, though their firewall is not as developed. FortiGate is known for its firewall solutions, however, with Huawei, it’s a hard work to establish the offering.

The initial setup for FortiGate is straightforward and easy. The company frequently conducts meetings to present their solutions in Brazil, helping to streamline the process.

Using FortiGate has enabled us to increase security, control user access, manage bandwidth, and enhance the ability to provide a variety of operations solutions to clients.

We work with a price list that changes every three or six months, however, we purchase in dollars. The exchange rate between the local currency and dollars affects the budget of our clients, so we need to quickly close negotiations.

The clients in Brazil often use Fortinet, given its familiarity and integration with existing networks comprising vendors such as Huawei, Cisco, and sometimes Juniper.

It’s crucial to understand the client’s necessity first and implement only the solutions needed initially, expanding later with more solutions as required.

I'd rate the solution nine out of ten.

We use the FortiGate Next Generation Firewall for our customers. We mainly utilize firewall and VPN features.

The solution has helped us protect our customers' networks effectively due to its firewall and VPN capabilities.

The firewall and VPN features are the most valuable in protecting our customers' networks. The stability of the product is also appreciated.

I would like to see improvements in the IPS/IDS feature to enhance protection against attacks from attackers, including ransomware protection.

I have been using FortiGate Next Generation Firewall for about five years.

The product is stable.

We don't need scalability because our customers are small companies.

We do not use FortiGate support directly; we must use distributor support.

Positive

The pricing of FortiGate Next Generation Firewall is competitive. The licensing cost is approximately thirteen thousand.

We evaluate Palo Alto against FortiGate, and would be considering it if the price is lower.

I would rate FortiGate Next Generation Firewall an eight out of ten. I would like to see AI capabilities in the future.

I'd rate the solution eight out of ten.

Other

We are using the FortiGate Next Generation Firewall, and we are also providing this solution to our customers.

Customer is investing in this solution. We have observed a reduction in order value costs, approximately one lakh rupees per order, which contributes to reducing overall security costs.

In our territory, the most usable features include WAP content filtering, which is more utilized than IDS, sandbox license, and multiple internet connectivity. These are the primary features we are offering as a solution. 

FortiGate's threat detection capability is excellent. Compared to other solutions, FortiGuard Lab has a very high capacity to detect malware and malicious content.

I would like to see improvements in some of the hard drive features on FortiGate so that we can generate reporting within a single box.

We have been working with FortiGate Next Generation Firewall for the last ten years.

It's reliable and works well within our needs.

FortiGate is scalable. That said, you must change the hardware to scale in capacity.

Technical support has improved over the last two or three years, as Fortinet now operates 24/7 support.

Positive

We have also worked with SonicWall. Compared to SonicWall, FortiGate allows us to make a DNS server, which SonicWall cannot do. SonicWall offers the advantage of providing a free reporting solution.

The price is very aggressive in India as India is a rapidly growing market, the original equipment manufacturer offers competitive pricing.

We have evaluated other solutions like SonicWall and Sophos.

For very small companies, with five to ten users and where cost is a concern, I would not recommend going with FortiGate. 

If only cost is a concern, then it would not be recommended. It is a little bit expensive - the entry-level model is the FZ FortiGate. At the same time, Sophos XZ 86 is an entry-level model, which is more suitable for very small networks.

I'd rate the solution eight out of ten.

Conventionally, the solution is used for perimeter security. Whenever we find our organization's customer without an existing firewall, we use FortiGate Next Generation Firewall both for perimeter security as a firewall and as a VPN appliance to allow work-from-home employees at the VPN end. In the aforementioned instance, our company also uses the solution to connect different branches.

If our organization is establishing the network for a company with different branches spread geographically, we will use the VPN in IP set and FortiGate. The solution is highly flexible and is available at a cost-effective price. 

When using FortiGate Next Generation Firewall, availing the FortiGuard subscription is very important due to the vast threat intelligence with an international network.

Using the aforementioned network, FortiGate has been able to procure intelligence about the threats and incorporate the mitigation and protection against those threats in FortiGuard. So when you have FortiGuard integrated with the firewall, you have a robust perimeter solution to protect against malware. 

The pricing of the solution should be more affordable. 

I have been working with FortiGate Next Generation Firewall for seven years. 

FortiGate Next Generation Firewall has excellent stability. Fortinet is a top-tier IT security infrastructure company. 

I would rate the scalability a nine out of ten. The solution exhibits impressive stability. Once the solution is installed, it's used 24/7. 

We never had to rely on or communicate much with the tech support. The free resources, documentation, training, and community feedback have been enough to resolve 99% of our company's issues with the product. In our organization, we directly interacted with the support team once or twice and had a positive experience. I would rate the tech support eight out of ten. 

Positive

We used Cisco previously, but it was too expensive for our company. FortiGate Next-Generation Firewall was available at a better price and performance; it was a better fit for our company as a networking vendor. 

I would rate the initial setup an eight out of ten. Our company deals with only the on-premise version of FortiGate Next Generation Firewall. It took about half a day in our organization to deploy the solution. 

Our company has several firewall projects. When our organization identifies a company that needs a firewall but doesn't have one, we contact them. Our company strongly advises potential customers to adopt a firewall, and we provide reasons why the company shouldn't operate without a firewall today, we try to sell them the FortiGate Next Generation Firewall and FortiGuard solutions.

If the potential customer doesn't have access points or the latest switches, our company tries to sell that as well in the form of an integrated solution. 

Our company prefers to program solutions as much as possible in-house before approaching the customers. 

FortiGate Next Generation Firewall has a very high ROI. A customer can realize nearly 100% ROI when it is used along with FortiGuard to establish a robust perimeter firewall based on an international vendor with a global-level threat intelligence network. 

I would rate the pricing a seven out of ten. There are penalties if you don't renew the FortiGuard subscription, and I think the vendor should've refrained from imposing such penalties. If a customer fails to renew for a year, there shouldn't be any penalties on Fortinet solutions, the vendor should eradicate such policies. 

We evaluated Palo Alto, but we still chose Fortinet because, as per our company's evaluation, Palo Alto doesn't offer switches or access points. Before adopting FortiGate Next Generation Firewall, we also concluded that Fortinet offered everything for networking infrastructure, including switches, access points, antivirus, and firewalls. 

FortiGate has end-to-end solutions, they have switches, access points, and a native antivirus and threat management solution. When you onboard FortiGate Next Generation Firewall, you choose a vendor that covers every aspect of the IT infrastructure.

So, if you avail yourself of other products from the same vendor later on, it makes the management processes easier, as the command interface is similar across all the products from Fortinet, including switches, access points, and firewalls. The aforementioned benefit removes the need for training your team when a new solution is onboarded in the organization. 

I would advise others to do a proper assessment in terms of the sizing before onboarding FortiGate Next Generation Firewall. Before adopting the solution, one should know how many users need access to the Internet so that the firewall can be sized or scaled ideally.

A sizing chart is available online to assist users in procuring the correct firewall size. FortiGate Next Generation Firewall offers comprehensive reports on user activity; potential customers should also analyze the reporting aspect before choosing the solution.  

FortiGate Next Generation Firewall handles new and latest security threats satisfyingly. FortiGuard has some AI influence in its threat intelligence features in its international network. I would overall rate FortiGate Next Generation Firewall an eight out of ten. 

On-premises

We use the solution as a firewall device.

The solution is very stable and reliable in terms of security management. The solution has a user-friendly interface.

The solution’s pricing is high.

I have been using FortiGate Next Generation Firewall for four to five years.

The solution is used in an enterprise company.

The solution's deployment was very simple and took less than one day.

Although the solution's pricing is high, compared with other products, it may be cheap. We pay around 1,000 for the solution per year.

The solution is worth the price we paid for it. It was pretty easy to integrate the solution with other tools for security. I would recommend the solution to other users.

Overall, I rate the solution an eight out of ten.