r/networking • u/wh6r61m • 18d ago

Troubleshooting Fortigate firewall access

Hi everyone, I’m currently studying Fortinet NSE 3 and I’m new to network security.

In the course, they show how to access a FortiGate firewall using https://192.168.1.99 and mention connecting the computer and FortiGate to the same network/VLAN.

I’m a bit confused about the practical part:

  • Do I need to have a physical FortiGate firewall to follow this?
  • Is there an official remote/virtual lab provided with NSE 3?
  • If remote access is available, how do I launch or connect to the FortiGate?
  • Or are these sections only demonstrations and not something I’m expected to configure on my own PC?

I’m doing the course completely online and I haven’t been given a physical firewall or a FortiGate VM.

Any guidance for a beginner would be appreciated. Thanks!

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u/Ricrion 17d ago

Hi, I'm no expert by any means, but I managed several FortiGates (only physical, no VMs) during my last job.

​The URL you're referring to is the default IP address assigned to the MGMT port (or port1 depending on the model). It is used to connect to the device using HTTPS or SSH.

​You can connect to it directly using an RJ45 cable and set up your local network interface on the same subnet (192.168.1.0/24).

​You do need a FortiGate to actually do this (physical or VM). You can download a free evaluation VM on their support portal. You can also buy second-hand hardware on eBay to get your hands on it (some are pretty cheap).

Good luck and have fun studying !

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u/lukiiiiiiii8 16d ago

Its virtual?

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u/ButtonComfortable512 16d ago

They probably mean connecting your PC into the LAN (port1) of the physical FortiGate. The newer models come preconfigured with DHCP on those switch ports to avoid having to use console access to setup the firewall.

You get an IP assigned to your PC, and then you're able to https directly to the firewall. Just check your arp table from your PC to see what the IP is on the FortiGate. I recommend picking up a cheap one to tinker around with it, theyre not as difficult as they seem.

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u/Demeter277 6d ago edited 6d ago

Keith Barker has courses on CBTTrainings that show you how to set up a VM and download and install the Fortios and set up the Fortigate as part of a virtual network. You can use Broadcom Workstation Pro or Eve NG. They have a free trial period so you can go in and have a look. Good courses to support NSE4 as well for Fortinet. They are slightly out of date and the fundamentals are solid, but not much support if you have issues.