Fortinet – SOHO (Small Office Home Office) solutions
SOHO (Small Office Home Office) is a term for a solution that comprehensively and affordably meets all the IT requirements of small businesses. This article focuses on the smallest FortiGate and FortiWiFi devices from leading IT security solutions provider Fortinet. If you're considering buying, replacing, or expanding the functionality of a router for your small business or home, this article is for you.
1. SOHO Requirements
A SOHO device requires extensive functionality at an affordable price, all in one device. What components should this type of equipment include? A router with at least one WAN (Internet) port and several LAN ports (internal switch), Wi-Fi, VPN, firewall, and sometimes PoE. Devices of this type are typically intended for a small number of users due to the performance of the components they are made of.
View of the FWF40F
2. FortiGate Routers, FortiWiFi SOHO
Currently, the smallest router is the 40F model, shown in Figure 1. The FortiWiFi differs from the FortiGate in that it includes Wi-Fi functionality, which saves space and a port on the switch. This eliminates the need for PoE or an additional power outlet to power the AP.
Device performance from the manufacturer's documentation:
FGT40F Performance
Footnotes 2, 4, and 5 refer to the firewall inspections used during testing:
2 – measurement using IPS (Intrusion Prevention System), Application Control, NGFW, and Threat Protection with event logging,
4 – measurement using Firewall, IPS, Application Control,
5 – measurement using Firewall, IPS, Application Control, and Malware Protection.
Important parameters are NGFW Throughput and Threat Protection Throughput. Therefore, it's important that these values are comparable to the internet connection parameters you intend to use for communication.
Next, consider the number of Ethernet (Ethernet) ports you need. The FWF40F has five Ethernet ports. You can configure each of these ports individually, regardless of their description. If you don't plan to connect a large number of devices via Ethernet cable, the FWF40F should be sufficient. And even if you need one in the future, you can always add a small switch. Currently, WiFi is much more popular than cable for end users.
FortiOS software offers numerous configuration options. Among the most important is SD-WAN, which allows you to aggregate multiple WAN links and customize them to your needs. You can use Ethernet ports, as well as a USB port (by connecting a 3G/4G modem). SD-WAN allows you to monitor link availability using SLA performance. Load balancing on the WAN is possible thanks to advanced SD-WAN and Policy Routes options.
WiFi 5 is available in this model (IEEE 802.11a/b/g/n/ac-W2). It uses 3x3 Multiple (MU) MIMO (3 antennas per device). The maximum transmit power is 20 dBm. The antenna gain for each band is 3.5 dBi (5 GHz) and 5 dBi (2.4 GHz), respectively. These are common parameters for this type of device. The maximum advertised speeds are 1300 Mbps (5 GHz) and 450 Mbps (2.4 GHz). This depends on the environment you're working in. Don't expect such speeds during office or home testing. WiFi 6 devices are already available on the market.
The biggest advantage of the FortiWiFi FortiGate series is its NGFW (Next Generation Firewall). FortiOS offers many useful features to secure your office and home, such as:
- SSL Inspection (SSL certificate inspection)
- IPS (Intrusion Prevention System - intrusion detection and prevention systems)
- AntiVirus (detects malicious program code)
- WEB Filter (content filtering)
- Application Control (application filtering)
- DNS Filter (filtering DNS queries)
- File Filter (filtering files based on type - metadata, using DLP sensors)
To use these options in firewall traffic rules and for the above options to function properly, the device requires a FortiGuard subscription, which is included with the license. FortiGuard provides ongoing signatures, ensuring the device is constantly updated and has the latest security features.
The next devices in the series are the FGT/FWF60F and FGT/FWF80F. Their small size makes them suitable for desktop use. Next in the series are the FGT100, FGT200, FGT300, and so on, which no longer feature Wi-Fi and are designed for rack mounting. These devices are designed for larger networks.
View of the FGT60F
The 60F model has more Ethernet ports than its predecessor, the 40F. Device functionality remains unchanged, while performance increases:
FGT60F Performance
In the next-generation 80F model, the device's port count remains unchanged from the 60F. SFP fiber ports have been added, shared with the Ethernet ports. This means that one of the two Ethernet or SFP ports can be used. WiFi parameters remain unchanged. This model features an additional power socket.
FWF80F Overview
The device's performance increases compared to its predecessors:
FWF80F Performance
The 61F and 81F models are worth highlighting, as they have internal 128 GB SSD memory. These are used, for example, to collect device logs if you don't send them to a syslog server.
The advantages of these routers include the ability to:
- Configure IPsec VPN tunnels (between locations) to connect a branch office. An interesting option is ADVPN (dynamic tunnels established only when traffic is transmitted in a Hub and Spoke topology).
- Configure remote work using the popular SSL VPN. Additionally, 2FA is possible using FortiTokens (a separate license is required). If you don't want to purchase another license, you can use the email option instead of a token. These features increase the level of infrastructure security.
- Configure dynamic routing: BGP, OSPF, RIP.
SOHO-class devices will continue to be developed in terms of security and performance. Therefore, it's worth considering comprehensive security for your business, office, or home today. Test your network's functionality and see how you can improve it.
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