FortiAP-441K, Fortigate-100F, & FortiSwitch

[sagvan]

Hello, everyone!
I hope everyone is doing great.

We have a Fortigate-100F, and many FortiAP-231F.

We have a new office building that will have the best of the best things used, from the architectural standpoint to the technology aspect of it.
I, as the only IT guy at the company, have been asked to assist the engineers in choosing and planning the best and most secure products.

Since we already have Fortinet products, and for better integration with our network, I decided to recommend FortiAP-441K because it is the one on top of the list with the best and most advanced features, am I right?
Its look is simple and the architecture of the building won't be damaged from using this because of its simplicity.

My question is, will all Fortinet products work and integrate smoothly with each other, in our case, Fortigate-100F, FortiAP-231F, and the new FortiAP-441K? Do these and other Fortinet products integrate well regardless of the model?

Also, in this building, we will have access control, fire detection, facial recognition access, public address and voice alarm, IP phones, etc. systems. So far, we have decided to go with Bosch Security company's products for these.

My question here is, can these third-party products (Bosch, in our case) be well identified or controlled network/threat-wise on Fortigate-100F?
What are some recommendations for hardware selection?
Which Fortiswitch should we buy when we will have devices requiring POE and devices that won't?

What are some other general recommendations in this scenario?

I know, the best option for IT system managers is to have all devices from a single brand, but it is not possible in all cases. So we need Fortinet + Bosch.

Best regards,

[atakannatak]

Hi @sagvan ,

Let's address your questions step by step:

Integration of Fortinet Products

FortiGate-100F, FortiAP-231F, and FortiAP-441K Integration:

Compatibility: Fortinet products are designed for seamless integration, and the FortiGate-100F should manage both FortiAP-231F and FortiAP-441K efficiently. FortiAPs generally work well with FortiGate firewalls, providing centralized management, security policies, and monitoring.

https://docs.fortinet.com/document/fortiswitch/7.4.2/fortilink-compatibility

https://docs.fortinet.com/document/fortiap/7.4.0/fortiap-and-fortios-compatibility-matrix/495193/for...

Features of FortiAP-441K: The FortiAP-441K is a high-performance access point offering advanced features like Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax), improved throughput, and better efficiency in high-density environments, making it a good choice for a modern office.

Integration with Bosch Security Products and FortiGate-100F:

Network Identification and Control: FortiGate-100F can identify and control network traffic, including traffic from Bosch security devices. You can use FortiGate's features like device identification, application control, and IPS to monitor and secure these devices.

Segmenting the Network: It's advisable to segment your network (using VLANs) to isolate critical security systems from regular network traffic, enhancing security and performance.

Hardware Recommendations

Power over Ethernet (PoE) Requirements: For devices requiring PoE (like IP phones, cameras, access points), you should choose a FortiSwitch model that supports PoE+ or PoE++. Models like FortiSwitch 424E-POE or FortiSwitch 448E-POE offer a good balance of ports and PoE capabilities.

Non-PoE Devices: You can use the same switch for non-PoE devices, as PoE ports can also serve regular network devices. However, if you expect a high number of non-PoE devices, you might opt for a combination of PoE and non-PoE switches based on your port requirements.

General Recommendations of Network Design and Best Practices:

Redundancy and High Availability: Ensure redundancy for critical network components like FortiGate firewalls and core switches to minimize downtime.

Network Segmentation: Use VLANs to segment different types of traffic (e.g., security systems, employee devices, guest Wi-Fi) for better performance and security.

Access Control: Implement strong access control policies using FortiGate's identity-based policies, integrating with directory services like LDAP or Entra ID for user authentication.

Monitoring and Management: Utilize FortiManager and FortiAnalyzer for centralized management and logging to monitor network health and security events.

https://docs.fortinet.com/document/fortianalyzer/7.4.0/compatibility-with-fortios

https://docs.fortinet.com/document/fortimanager/7.4.0/compatibility-with-fortios

Fortinet offers a broad range of cybersecurity solutions that provide visibility, control, and actionable intelligence for ICS/OT and converged IT/OT environments, including your Bosh systems such as access control, fire detection, facial recognition access, public address and voice alarm systems, and IP phones. These solutions also support compliance with various industry regulations, standards, and best practices. For more information about OT:

https://www.fortinet.com/support/support-services/fortiguard-security-subscriptions/industrial-secur...

https://www.fortinet.com/content/dam/fortinet/assets/data-sheets/og-operational-technology.pdf

BR.

If my answer provided a solution for you, please mark the reply as solved it so that others can get it easily while searching for similar scenarios.

[sagvan]

@atakannatak 

Thank you so much for this thorough answer. It is very clear.

Regarding whether I should accept your answer as a solution, I am seriously considering it, but let's wait for others to see if they can also contribute.

Best,