Buying Guide For Fortigate Firewall

Our Ultimate Fortinet FortiGate Buyers Guide was created to assist small company owners, IT consultants, and network administrators in understanding the FortiGate portfolio and making informed network security decisions. Spectrum Edge is dedicated to providing our customers and partners with plain-language product information.

NEXT-GENERATION FIREWALL FORTIGATE

 

Secure SD-WAN-ready security products from Fortinet Fortigate Firewalls defend home offices, SMBs, mid-sized, dispersed organisations, and branches. Highly efficient security processors improve network speed while providing extensive insight and security effectiveness, earning acclaim and recommendations from third-party benchmark testing on a regular basis.

 

FortiGate firewalls come in a variety of sizes, making it easy to pick one that meets your requirements. The D Series, E Series, and F Series are Fortinet’s most popular firewalls. The FortiGate F Series firewalls are the most recent generation of FortiGate firewalls.

 

Fortigate Models Resource

 

• What is the difference between the FortiGate 60F and 60E?

• FortiGate E Series vs. FortiGate E Series for SMBs

• FortiGate F Series vs. FortiGate F Series for SMBs

• Firewalls from FortiGate

WHERE DO YOU GET YOUR NEXT FORTIGATE FIREWALL?

 

The amount of users your network must accommodate is the most critical factor when purchasing a Fortinet next-generation firewall. The number of users in your company is more than simply the number of workers. On your organization’s network, a user is defined as any desktop, laptop, printer, phone, tablet, or other Internet-connected device.

 

Get an exact count of every user in your system for maximum security. If your company expands or you need to accommodate guest users, Firewalls.com suggests allowing extra area for new users. This also guarantees that bandwidth is available for resource-intensive applications.

 

Throughput Speeds – The throughput of a firewall is a measurement of the amount of Internet traffic that can travel through it at any one moment, dependent on the hardware’s processing capability. Mbps (megabits per second) and Gbps (gigabits per second) are the units of measurement for throughput (gigabits per second). The datasheets for Fortinet firewalls provide a range of throughput statistics depending on the kinds of security services, traffic, and protocols handled by the firewall.

 

Max Firewall Throughput — The highest throughput metric on any datasheet, Max Firewall Throughput represents the hardware’s maximum feasible processing speed when no extra services are implemented. This is the “out-of-the-box” speed and does not represent how a firewall would function in a real-world situation in most circumstances.

 

Secure Socket Layer (SSL) and Virtual Private Networks (VPN) are communication protocols that control how data is encrypted and sent between a source and a destination. The most secure way for remote employees, outposts, and branch offices to access resources from the core database is using SSL VPN tunnels. Because a VPN is a private connection, throughput speeds are determined by the kind of data being sent as well as the gateway’s ability to encrypt and decode the traffic that flows through it.

 

IMIX Throughput — IMIX, or Internet Mix, refers to simulated traffic running through a firewall in order to mimic how the hardware would operate in a real-world scenario. IMIX throughputs reflect the speed with which a firewall can handle a wide range of packet sizes and traffic patterns. Real-world samples acquired by a variety of Internet routers and security sensors are used to create Internet Mix profiles. This figure will closely represent the real network performance you may anticipate.

 

Spectrum Edge suggests:

When sophisticated scanning features like Deep Packet Inspection and dedicated secure VPN tunnels are used, business data is kept the safest possible. Choosing firewalls based on Full DPI Throughput and SSL VPN Throughput ensures that your company has enough performance to provide sophisticated services. When in doubt, assume your network will operate at 50% to 70% of the throughput speeds specified on datasheets, giving plenty of room for expansion.

 

Site-to-Site VPN Tunnels — Site-to-Site VPN tunnels enable fixed-location Local Area Networks (LANs) to connect to the main corporate intranet through secure conduits. Any current-generation Fortinet FortiGate firewall comes with DPI-SSL as standard. The maximum number of tunnels a firewall may allow from distant LANs is specified in FortiGate datasheets. The maximum number of IPSec VPN clients supported will likewise be shown in these system specification tables.

 

The size and shape of an appliance’s hardware is known as its form factor. The majority of firewalls will come in either a desktop or a rackmount configuration. The desktop form factor suggests that the firewall is a tiny appliance that can fit on top of a desktop, while the rackmount form factor indicates that the firewall was meant to fit into a conventional 19-inch server rack. The number of rack units (RU) that a device occupies is frequently shown on rackmount-sized gadgets.

 

Wireless Support – Wireless firewall solutions are preferred by certain businesses over equipment that must be linked through Cat5E/Cat6 cable. Wired networking solutions are often seen to be more dependable and stable, owing to the fact that signals are not affected or impeded by other connections. Data transmission rates are continually rising owing to the development of Gigabit connections, making wired appliances significantly quicker. Wireless solutions, such as FortiWifi wireless firewalls, provide greater mobility and deployment flexibility by allowing them to reach any place without the need of physical connections. Wireless settings are also easier to set up since they need less equipment and preparation.

 

Take inventory of all the physical aspects of your facility before investing in cybersecurity. Is it better to use construction materials that are favourable to wireless signal transmission or those that aren’t? Is there a good supply of and simple access to power outlets? Are there any locations where Internet connection should be prohibited? When putting out your network, physical security should be a top priority, and it may influence the final hardware details you choose.

 

FORTINET CAN SAVE YOU MONEY

 

Customers may save money by bundling Fortinet’s best-selling products into complete packages. Bundles are available in 1-year, 3-year, and 5-year durations, and are gradually reduced to help you save money while planning for long-term security.

 

In virtually all cases, consumers should opt for a firewall that includes extra services or support. Appliance purchases should only be made if the hardware will be added to an existing network; they should never be utilised as the main firewall protection.

 

Unified Threat Protection – FortiGuard’s Unified Threat Protection bundles are a basic set of security services meant to expand your security architecture beyond standard firewalling. This includes FortiCare assistance 24 hours a day, seven days a week, as well as App Control, IPS, AMP, Web Filtering, and AntiSpam.

 

Enterprise Protection – The Enterprise Protection bundle includes everything in the Unified Threat Protection option, plus additional FortiGuard services like Security Rating Services, Industrial Controls for manufacturers, and services that detect unknown Internet of Things (IoT) devices, bringing enterprise-grade protection to small and mid-sized businesses.

 

ADVANCED SECURITY LICENSING FORTIGATE

 

To ensure that your company data is always protected, Fortinet provides a number of security add-ons and updates. Offers might be one-time purchases or ongoing subscriptions. Customers may save a lot of money by choosing for 3-Year or 5-Year subscriptions, just as they can with packaged solutions. Brief descriptions of Fortinet’s stand-alone services are provided below. All of these services are included in one or more of the following packages.

 

FortiGuard App Control Service – Create rules to allow, reject, or limit access to specific apps or groups of applications in a matter of seconds.

 

Stop both known and zero-day threats like malware that try to break your network defences with the FortiGuard IPS Service.

 

FortiGuard Advanced Malware Security – FortiGuard Advanced Malware Protection combines Fortinet’s AntiVirus service with FortSandbox Cloud to provide comprehensive core protection.

 

Web Filtering Service by FortiGuard – A subscription-based managed web filtering system that organises billions of websites and sites into categories that may be permitted, limited, or forbidden.

 

FortiGuard AntiSpam Service – Detects and blocks a broad range of spam emails by combining transmit IP reputation and known spam signature databases.

 

FortiGuard Security Rating Service – Provides real-time risk and vulnerability information to audit system settings and procedures for better network operations.

 

For visibility and control, FortiGuard Industrial Service monitors and regulates popular ICS/SCADA protocols.

 

FortiGuard IoT Identification is a subscription service that enables for the detection of unknown IoT devices that would otherwise go undetected by a traditional local Device Database (CIDB)

 

HOW TO EXTEND THE LIFE OF YOUR FORTINET FORTIGATE

 

FortiGate Configurations – Standard & Advanced – Firewalls.com Just say no to the wizard of setup. It’s time to put an end to network security guessing. All configuration work is completed by Firewalls.com’s in-house team of trained and specialised network architects at our Indianapolis Security Operation Center (SOC), where full-time administrators maximise network performance and security. Our staff will do a thorough analysis of your network requirements before configuring your appliance to get the most bang for your buck. When your hardware arrives, it’s already pre-configured with a customised setup for a seamless plug-and-play experience.

 

The Firewalls.com staff will set up VPN tunnels, access points, co-location lockdowns, remote access and VoIP, as well as implement granular content filtering, integrate Active Directory, and create custom firewall rules. When it comes to making your network into a cyber fortress, our 99-step setup process leaves no stone untouched.

 

Managed Security Service by Firewalls.com – Maintaining a strong IT team may be difficult for small organisations. Firewalls.com has a staff of specialised Fortinet specialists that can monitor, report, and mitigate network assaults 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, enabling you to focus on what you do best: operating your company. Don’t be concerned about firmware upgrades or network outages. Our security services provide peace of mind by ensuring a quick reaction to anything the bad guys hurl at you. MSS provides unrestricted customised assistance, proactive firmware upgrades, configuration changes, alarms, proactive threat detection, Web-based activity reporting, and device repair and replacement.

 

The Managed Security Service from Firewalls.com is a month-to-month subscription service with no long-term contracts. Your network is subjected to quarterly health tests to guarantee that your firewall is always changing to meet the threats it faces.

 

Checklist for Firewall Configuration – Are you ready to undertake a firewall configuration on your own? Get a copy of the Firewalls.com Configuration Quick Start Checklist, which outlines all of the settings and selections you’ll need to make. This 17-page checklist includes everything from DHCP, TCP/UDP ports, rule description, and more.

 

Get the Checklist for Firewall Configuration

 

Fortinet provides standalone support contracts that include technical assistance, firmware upgrades, and an extended warranty for your FortiGate firewall. Fortigate support is available by email, phone, or a web-based interface, ensuring that assistance is always available.