FortiCare 8x5 Enhanced Support

[abc987]

from Support page: Fortinet' s FortiCare 8x5 Enhanced Support offering is designed for customers who need support during local business hours. FortiCare 8X5 Enhanced Support includes access to support services via telephone, the customer support web portal and online chat system. Additionally, 8x5 Enhanced Support includes advanced exchange hardware replacement. What does this advanced exchange mean?

[rwpatterson]

Usually means that they will forward the replacement before you need to take the failing (failed) piece out of service.

[abc987]

Thanks Bob for your fast answer. This was my thought about it too. But unfortunately it' s useless if support wants a HQIP before and the unit is at a customers site and nobody there is able to do a HQIP. Never mind! Not your problem..

[Dave_Hall]

But unfortunately it' s useless if support wants a HQIP before and the unit is at a customers site and nobody there is able to do a HQIP. Never mind! Not your problem..

Personally, I would demand a HQIP test too unless the unit is confirmed dead and/or not able to perform the HQIP. Actually, we are pretty much in the same boat as most of our fgt devices are located in remote areas with no actual onsite tech support. However, we are fortunate enough to have spare units in stock that we can ship to the location. In a pinch you can always configure/deploy a cheap dlink router while you assess the problem with the fgt unit and run the HQIP.

[emnoc]

Same here, I' m with Dave on this one. Fortinet/TAC does just want to take your word, " that it' s my unit is bad and send me a RMA please" . Support services suppose to be profitable :) If you have no remote access , or nobody qualified onsite, than get a 2nd unit and run it HA. Then you can have the suspect bad unit fedex/ups/dhl back to you to be analyzed. I have a few cold spares that serves just that purpose. I can pull the last saved config, do a maybe a firmware upgrade to match the rev out in the field and send it along. This is the norm from my current and past roles. And it' s way cheaper than gas or a plane ticket 10 out of 10 times In some case, it boiled down to being a corrupted image. If I could count on 2 hands how many times some told me the unit need a tobe RMA and it happens to be something total resolvable, well I would be out of fingers