The modern-day business environment is more distributed than ever before. Enterprises operate in multiple locations, with employees, customers, partners, and suppliers connecting through various network paths, including broadband, 4G, 5G, and MPLS. The challenge for IT teams is to ensure reliable and secure network connectivity and data transmission. Traditional networks may struggle with these requirements, leading to delays, disruptions, and threats. However, Software-defined Wide Area Networking (SD-WAN) and Fortinet’s FortiGate configuration can streamline network connections by simplifying network management, improving performance, and reducing costs.
What is SD-WAN?
SD-WAN is a networking technology that abstracts the physical infrastructure and uses software to manage the wide area network connections and traffic. Instead of relying on MPLS or other dedicated circuits, SD-WAN aggregates multiple types of network connections, such as broadband and cellular, and optimizes the routing and prioritization of data based on application requirements. With SD-WAN, enterprises can ensure high-quality connectivity, better user experience, and improved bandwidth utilization at a lower cost than traditional WANs.
Fortinet’s FortiGate Configuration for SD-WAN
Fortinet is a leading cybersecurity company that provides a wide range of products and services to protect networks, endpoints, and applications. Among its offerings is the FortiGate Next-Generation Firewall (NGFW), which combines firewall, VPN, intrusion prevention, and other security functions in a single device. FortiGate also supports SD-WAN, allowing customers to benefit from its security features while simplifying network management and reducing costs.
FortiGate SD-WAN supports three deployment modes: split tunnel, full mesh, and hub-and-spoke. In the split tunnel mode, only the cloud applications are sent over the SD-WAN link, while the rest of the traffic goes directly to the Internet. This approach optimizes the bandwidth usage and reduces latency. In the full mesh mode, all the sites are connected to each other, creating a mesh network. This mode is suitable for enterprises with multiple locations that exchange a lot of data. In the hub-and-spoke mode, one or more hub sites are connected to multiple spoke sites, and the traffic is routed through the hub. This mode is suitable for enterprises with a centralized architecture and limited bandwidth.
FortiGate SD-WAN also supports cloud on-ramp, which enables enterprises to connect to cloud providers such as AWS, Azure, and Google Cloud with ease. With cloud on-ramp, enterprises can optimize their cloud traffic for performance, security, and compliance, while avoiding the risks and complexities of direct Internet access.
Benefits of Streamlining Network Connections with SD-WAN FortiGate Configuration
By adopting SD-WAN with FortiGate configuration, enterprises can achieve several benefits, including:
1. Simplified network management: SD-WAN centralizes the network management and provides a single pane of glass view of the network status and performance. FortiGate adds to this capability by providing security features such as intrusion prevention, web filtering, antivirus, and application control. With FortiGate SD-WAN, IT teams can deploy, monitor, and control the network and security policies with ease.
2. Improved network performance: SD-WAN optimizes the network performance by aggregating multiple connections, selecting the best path based on application requirements, and prioritizing the traffic. FortiGate adds to this capability by providing security functions that prevent threats from affecting the network performance. With FortiGate SD-WAN, enterprises can ensure high-quality connectivity and user experience, even in challenging environments.
3. Reduced costs: SD-WAN reduces costs by replacing expensive dedicated circuits with broadband and cellular connections. FortiGate adds to this capability by providing a unified platform for security and networking functions, reducing the complexity and costs of managing multiple devices. With FortiGate SD-WAN, enterprises can save on the network infrastructure, operational expenses, and security investments.
Conclusion
Streamlining network connections with SD-WAN FortiGate configuration can help enterprises overcome the challenges of today’s distributed business environment. By adopting SD-WAN technology, enterprises can simplify network management, improve performance, and reduce costs. With FortiGate added to SD-WAN, enterprises can also benefit from enhanced security features, cloud on-ramp capabilities, and a unified platform for networking and security. As a result, enterprises can achieve their business objectives without compromising on network reliability, security, or agility.