Does 24x7 FortiCare cover hardware and software support?

[VladaFBiH]

We want to extend our support licences for our fortiweb 400d device with a 24x7 FortiCare plus AV, FortiWeb Security Service and IP Reputation support licence.

When we contacted our distributor he told us they could only extend it up to 2026-01-14 which we can see on our asset management site is the hardware lifecycle end of support date. But on the software lifecycle page we can see that the end of support for the software lifecycle is 2027-06-16. 

So our question is when our hardware support ends do we also lose software support since we can only buy a 24x7 FortiCare plus AV, FortiWeb Security Service and IP Reputation support up to the hardware end of support date? Or does the software support continue without paying for it? Or is there a separate license that is just for software support?

[AEK]

As per my knowledge, if you want to renew support for an equipment that is almost EoS, then Fortinet will give you an offer that includes support of your current HW until the HW EoS date + a trade-up offer (HW refresh).

However if I remember well, very few exceptions may be done (I don't know under which conditions), I mean Fortinet can under some conditions continue to support your hardware for few extra months even if it reaches EoS.

[VladaFBiH]

Sure we're more curious what happens with the software support since its EoS date is a year and a half after the HW support date. The offer we got from our distributor was up to the EoS date of the HW and not the SW so while the SW is still not EoS we don't have support for it and can't get support for it? 

[AEK]

As per my understanding, if the support offer is up to the HW EoS date (this offer seems correct) then you will lose any support (HW and SW) for your equipment after this date.

It simply means if you have a hardware failure you will not be supported, and also after this date you cannot update your FortiOS on this equipment, even if there is new available updates, and you cannot open a ticket if you have some software related issue or any other issue.

If this is a critical production firewall I'd recommend to refresh your hardware by the HW EoS date.

For your hardware refresh it may be a very good idea to take G series model in order to have the maximum lifetime for your new hardware. For G series I think it will last about 9 or 10 years from now.

[amrit]

When the OS and hardware are still before the End of Support Date (EOS) but already passed End of Engineering Support(EOES), the user will continue to receive support for Hardware and FortiOS configuration issues; however, if it is a software problem, it will not be fixed for that version unless it falls under 'critical issues and PSIRT vulnerabilities'.

please go through this article to understand the difference between hardware and software support 

https://community.fortinet.com/t5/Customer-Service/Technical-Tip-Hardware-version-limitation-on-Fort...

Page 3 of this document:https://www.fortinet.com/content/dam/fortinet/assets/legal/Fortinet-Service-Offering-Terms.pdf

Fortinet shall have no obligation to provide Technical Support under FortiCare in any of the following circumstances:

For any Hardware that is in the “End of Support” phase, as defined in Fortinet’s then-active Product life cycle policy unless otherwise stated in the Active Service Coverage Leve

For more details you can contact your local SE

[MeghanReed]

FortiCare 24x7 typically provides comprehensive support, including both hardware and software assistance. It covers hardware replacements, software updates, and technical support around the clock. However, if you're looking for specifics or if there's any uncertainty about what’s included in your support package, it’s a good idea to directly contact Fortinet support or check your service contract for details.

[JakJoly]

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