Documentation

What is FortiGate and VMware?

FortiGate is a powerful firewall developed by Fortinet and widely used for network security.

VMware is a popular virtualization platform that lets you run virtual devices like FortiGate on your PC.

Installing FortiGate in GNS3: Step-by-Step

    Ready to get started? Here's how to bring your FortiGate into VMware:

    First, you'll need the FortiGate image file. These usually come in .ovf or .qcow2 formats. You can download them from the official GNS3 or Fortinet Website. Just a quick heads-up: you might need to log in to your Fortinet account and request a trial license to access the download.

Once you have the image, open up GNS3 and Look for an option "New Template" if you want add new virtual devices. Follow the on-screen prompts to complete the import process. It's usually quite straightforward!

Network Configuration for GUI Access

After adding FortiGate to VMware, we need to set up its network connection so you can access the graphical user interface (GUI).

Inside VMware, configure FortiGate's network adapter. You'll typically connect port1 (or another interface) to a bridged. A bridged adapter connects your virtual FortiGate directly to your physical network, making it appear as another device on your local network. This is great if you want other devices on your network to reach the FortiGate.

Now, you'll need to assign an IP address to FortiGate's interface and enable the necessary management protocols. You'll do this directly in the FortiGate's Command Line Interface (CLI). Start the FortiGate VM in VMware and open its console. You'll see a command-line prompt. Type the following commands, pressing Enter after each line:

config system interface
    edit port1
        set mode static
        set ip 192.168.1.99/24 
        set allowaccess ping https ssh
        end

If you want to static mode you can also use dhcp mode by set mode dhcp.

config system interface
    edit port1
        set  mode dhcp
        set allowaccess ping https ssh
        end

Check on

config system interface
get port1

Accessing the FortiGate GUI

    With the IP configured, you're ready to access the FortiGate's graphical interface from your web browser! On your host machine, open your preferred web browser and type the FortiGate's IP address with HTTPS into the address bar, like this: https://192.168.1.99 depends on your configuration on allowaccess you can also using http

    When the login prompt appears, use the default credentials: the username is admin, and the password field should be left empty. For security reasons, the very first time you log in, FortiGate will immediately ask you to create a new password.

Registering and Activating Your FortiGate License

    Once you're logged into the FortiGate GUI, you'll find options to register your device with your Fortinet account. If you're setting this up for a lab or testing, you can usually apply a trial license. Registering your FortiGate unlocks a ton of features, including vital FortiOS updates, up-to-date antivirus signatures, robust intrusion prevention, and much more, ensuring your virtual firewall has the latest protections. with trial licenses you will only get 3 interface, and 2 VDOMS and that a bit annoying.

Conclusion

    Congratulations! By following these simple steps, you now have a fully functional FortiGate firewall running inside VMware with full GUI access. This setup is perfect for building practice labs, diving deep into Fortinet firewall configurations.