Fortinet FortiGate 200E

The FortiGate 200E was a workhorse firewall designed for mid-sized to large enterprises and data centers during its product cycle. As part of the "E-Series," it has now been largely superseded by the F-Series (e.g., 200F/201F) and the newer G-Series. Understanding the 200E is crucial primarily for organizations that own them or are considering purchasing them on the secondary market.

Key Features and Historical Context

The 200E was a significant platform in its time, offering:

1. Solid Performance for its Era: It was built with Fortinet's older generation of SPU chips (likely NP6 and CP8), which provided good acceleration for its time but is far outpaced by the NP7 in current models.

2. High Port Density and Flexibility: It featured a large number of 1GbE and 10GbE interfaces, along with modular expansion slots (MEZZ card) for customization.

3. Data Center and Enterprise Ready: With its 1U form factor, redundant power supplies, and high throughput, it was suited for demanding network perimeters and core network segmentation.

4. Foundation for Security Fabric: It supported the core Fortinet Security Fabric, allowing integration with other Fortinet products.