Fortiswitch and APs - real world experience

[jenik]

We are a Cisco meraki LAN and AP shop with Fortigates. I'm keen to go full Fortinet stack with all the NAC features, reporting and insights into end users.

Cisco meraki is easy to use and is well known within the company, but expensive, what are people's experiences in moving? I have read some negative reviews on the Forti APs in particular.

I've also read FortiNAC can still be used without a Forti switch and AP but has it's limitations. As I don't want to go down the ISE route as it's a headache.

[sjoshi]

If you are using Fortigate as a firewall then with fortiswitch and fortiAP everything can be control by FortiGate which help you in centralized management

[kaman]

When considering transitioning from a Cisco Meraki LAN and AP setup to a full Fortinet stack, it's important to weigh the pros and cons based on your specific requirements. Here are some insights to consider:

- Transitioning to a full Fortinet stack can provide a more integrated and unified security solution with advanced features like NAC, reporting, and user insights.
- While some negative reviews exist for FortiAPs, it's essential to evaluate them based on your network environment and requirements.

- FortiNAC can be utilized without FortiSwitch and FortiAP, but its functionality may be limited compared to a fully integrated Fortinet stack.
- Integrating FortiNAC with FortiSwitch and FortiAP can enhance its capabilities and provide a more comprehensive network access control solution.

- Fortinet solutions offer user-friendly interfaces and centralized management which can ease the transition process for your team.
- FortiNAC, when integrated with FortiSwitch and FortiAP, can provide enhanced visibility and control over end-user activities.

- Fortinet solutions typically offer competitive pricing compared to Cisco, providing cost savings without compromising on security features.
- Evaluate the total cost of ownership, including licensing, support, and maintenance, to ensure the new stack aligns with your budget.

- FortiNAC offering network access control capabilities without the complexity associated with ISE implementation.

In summary, transitioning to a full Fortinet stack can offer a robust security solution with advanced features and cost savings. Evaluate your specific needs, conduct a thorough pilot test, and consider consulting with Fortinet experts to ensure a smooth migration process tailored to your organization's requirements.

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Aman

[sjoshi]

I’d like to add a few more points to consider:

• Scalability: Fortinet's solutions, particularly with FortiManager and FortiAnalyzer, allow seamless scalability for growing organizations. This ensures that the network infrastructure can grow without requiring a major overhaul.
• Application Control and SD-WAN Integration: If your organization is considering or already using SD-WAN, FortiGate's integration with FortiAP and FortiSwitch enables application-aware routing and control directly from the firewall.
• Ease of Migration: Tools like FortiConverter can simplify the migration process by helping translate existing configurations from Cisco to Fortinet, reducing deployment time and errors.