FortiOS 6.2 now needs a license for EMS to support Forticlient?

[mvanders]

I have a fortigate 60E which had 10 licenses for Forticlient.  After upgrading to FortiOS 6.2 you need to enable the feature "Advanced Endpoint Control" and go to Security Fabric/Settings and enable Forticlient EMS which asks for a serial number.  Does this mean that I now need to buy a new license which I had 10 of before I upgraded to 6.2 or am I missing something.  I tried the serial number of the device but that did not work.

Thanks for any insight

[Wayner]

Mvanders:

Seems you can download the 6.2 Forticlient and it runs in free mode and only offers VPN. Tried this on my MAC and it worked perfectly on my 60E.

The reference to 'free' can be see at the link below.

https://docs.fortinet.com/document/forticlient/6.2.0/windows-release-notes/371487/introduction

W.

[andrewbailey]

I've also been trying to understand how this works on the 6.2 family of releases.

On the 6.0 family of releases I had:-

[ul]

FortiClientEMS ("trial" version limited to 10 clients).

FortiClient on a small number of Windows machines (5 or 6- well within the "trial" version limits).

All integrated to a 60E.[/ul]

After the 6.2 (for 60E, FortiClient and FortiClientEMS):-

[ul]

FortiClientEMS asks for a licence code (and seems to be unable to contact support to validate a "trial" license- and it's not even clear if the "trial" license still exists).

FortiClient 6.2 doesn't seem to upgrade AV definitions and wont register with the FortiClient EMS because of the above license issue (essentially rendering it useless).

Unclear how 6.2 on the Fortigate works in relation to the above.[/ul]

Overall I can't even see what the recommended "strategy" is for an SME/ SOHO environment. It just seems FortiNet is trying to push everything towards full licenses and has forgotten about the little people with limited IT budgets.

There is some good features in the 6.2 family of releases- but FortiNet really needs to clarify what the approach should be at this end of the business market.......

Kind Regards,

Andy.

[AtiT]

Hello,

As far as I know all licenses purchased before May 1st, 2019 for 6.0 (maybe also for earlier versions?) version will be converted to EMS license for 6.2 EMS server.

If you have EMS license for 100 FortiClients and Fortigate license for 100 FortiClients the new lincense will be only for 100 FortiClient license for EMS.

If you have FortiClient lincense for EMS only, or FortiClient license for FortiGate only, the new license will be for EMS only in 6.2.

The FortiClient will no longer communicate with FortiGate but EMS only so no license for FortiGate is needed.

Once you buy some FortiClient license you have EMS lincese in it, not need to purchase license for EMS separately.

--- can someone confirm this? Do I have the correct information about licensing?

I am confused with the trial license on EMS because on forticlient.com site under Try Now section there is a possibility to download FortiClient EMS after filling the form, but it will download only the EMS online installer.

The page says: This trial version is not time limited, it lets you mange up to 10 clients.

When I install the FortiCilient EMS 6.2.0 i have no license for FortiClients. It shows: 0 of 0.

Is ti correct?

[eric12486]

Hi, I am having a problem getting the client to work on a MAC version 6.2 says connecting, has a disconnect button but never connects. Did you run into any issues on the MAC? Our Windows clients work fine.

[Mike_Ferderer]

To make it worse this new "free VPN only" client has eliminated the option to allow "VPN before logon".  This makes the client useless if you want remote users to do a true domain logon wherever they are.  I even backed up the Forticlient config and edited the settign for "Show_vpn_before_logon" and set to "1" then restored it.   I backed up once more to verified it retained the setting and after a reboot it still doesn't show "sign in options" at the logon screen.  

I probably should open a separate thread or ticket.  Or just roll back to an older version.   

[cwb2205]

Hi Mvanders,

I know this post is a few months old but in case you were still looking or anyone else stumbles across this. Yes they removed the 10 free licences in 6.2 and you need to purchase an EMS licence for the clients. don't quote me but I think the base is 100 clients.

I also believe that Forticlient 6.2 requires EMS to work, so no more free AV for clients. 

Cheers,

Chris.

[andrewbailey]

Mvanders and others,

I've been exploring this a little too.

It seems that FortiClient EMS Cloud is due soon (in the 6.2.1 release). Also it seems the mimimum client licence drops to 25.

I'm still not sure if that's the best solution for SOHO environments but that seems to be the way we are heading.

Hope that helps.

Kind Regards,

Andy.

[ispcolohost]

It isn't just the small guys, the pricing model is annoying larger customers too.  They charge for seemingly everything now.  I was already annoyed by their stupid FortiToken, I mean seriously, charge me money to do 2fa, and in a way I can't have a backup, a hardware token, have to buy a license for every managed device, etc.  Now I need to buy FortiClient licenses.  Support costs have risen dramatically over the six years I've been a customer.