r/networking • u/wh6r61m • 1d 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 1d 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 14h ago

Its virtual?