So for our needs, it's support from another company that is probably the most important. Our time is too valuable to build it in-house and support it. Also, as much as anyone can take a linux box and slap some rules into it, there are many other things we are looking for that these companies (Fortinet in this case) have already done ... UTM signature updates, security research labs, R&D testing ... all of this takes time to develop and maintain. They also typically do a good job at documenting all of their systems - again, that takes an incredible amount of time if built in-house.
Don't get me wrong - we have a large development team in house and build a lot of our own solutions. A solution like this involving CPE isn't worth development time vs just buying appliances from someone. On Wed, Nov 18, 2015 at 6:11 PM, Faisal Imtiaz <fai...@snappytelecom.net> wrote: > The only value that such appliances offer, is perception and illusion > ......which can be of value to certain types of folks and deployment. > > They spend a lot of time and money trying to create the warm fuzzy > that they are doing something special with that appliance.. be it a > phone system or firewall. > > Most of them are running linux variant with a highly masking web > interface, along with heavily restricted feature capabilities. > > One can get a lot more value from other much less expensive systems, > but they do require a small learning curve to deal with... > > HostedPBX when done right offers a much better value than any > appliance phone system. > (hosted pbx can be something as simple as Freepbx or any of the other > distros running on a small box or a vm) > > Same goes for firewalls... If one has a semi reasonable understanding > of packets and traffic, IP Tables (linux firewall) or a small MT is > much more flexible and reliable that these appliances... > > Of course YMMV. > > Regards > > Faisal Imtiaz > Snappy Internet & Telecom > 7266 SW 48 Street > Miami, FL 33155 > Tel: 305 663 5518 x 232 > > Help-desk: (305)663-5518 Option 2 or Email: supp...@snappytelecom.net > > ________________________________ > > From: "That One Guy /sarcasm" <thatoneguyst...@gmail.com> > To: af@afmug.com > Sent: Wednesday, November 18, 2015 5:47:17 PM > Subject: Re: [AFMUG] Phone System > > Their UTM firewalls are outstanding, support impeccable, RMA process superb. > Firmware updates are a PITA because of the random changes, like taking > out DHCP relay from the GUI requiring CLI. Their sizing calculator is > pretty spot on. They do a decent trade in for competitor replacement, > just send a serial and certificate of destruction. > It does suck if you dont do the maintenance contract you lose some of > the UTM like webfiltering They have some 3com partnership, or they > bought hem, something to that effect. > Their switches are a bit big for the britches, I wasnt impressed. > > It can get pricey though > > > On Wed, Nov 18, 2015 at 4:41 PM, Paul Stewart <p...@paulstewart.org> wrote: >> >> Interesting …. Anyone use Fortinet gear for anything else? They keep >> hitting my radar for certain applications but have no real hands on >> with it…. They seem to make a lot of options… >> >> >> >> From: Af [mailto:af-boun...@afmug.com] On Behalf Of That One Guy >> /sarcasm >> Sent: Wednesday, November 18, 2015 5:34 PM >> To: af@afmug.com >> Subject: Re: [AFMUG] Phone System >> >> >> >> we do fortinet only >> >> You can do it without a problem >> >> its a good system as long as you realize is a voip pbx in a box, its >> not as configurable as some, but thats the beauty, you have a clear >> line of can do and cannot do >> >> Its designed to be an end user system as in you sell it to a customer >> and they manage it through their support contract with fortinet >> >> We have one customer who did that, he has had good success with self >> management, and hes a dolt at times. >> >> They bought Talkswitch so its actually a rebranded but seasoned >> system >> >> The virtual pbx is more scalable, but without conversion hardware it >> doesnt do pots >> >> >> >> >> >> On Mon, Nov 16, 2015 at 3:56 PM, Matt <matt.mailingli...@gmail.com> wrote: >> >> We are looking at upgrading our phone system. Looking at Fortinet. >> We have two locations now with separate phone numbers. Wanting to >> link the systems over Internet so we can help each other out when one >> location or other has too many lines ringing. >> >> What is everyone else using for a phone system and how do they like it? >> >> >> >> >> >> -- >> >> If you only see yourself as part of the team but you don't see your >> team as part of yourself you have already failed as part of the team. > > > > > -- > If you only see yourself as part of the team but you don't see your > team as part of yourself you have already failed as part of the team. >
