The is a straightforward process that provides immediate, unrestricted access to the power of FortiOS. By following this guide, you can quickly set up a lab environment to test security policies or familiarize yourself with Fortinet’s industry-leading technology.

| Resource | Minimum | Recommended for Feature Testing | |----------|---------|--------------------------------| | vCPU | 1 | 2 | | RAM | 2 GB | 4 GB | | Disk | 32 GB (thin provisioned) | 32 GB | | Network Interfaces | 2 (management + data) | 2 or more for HA testing |

After the boot sequence finishes, you must assign an IP address to the primary interface so you can access the graphical user interface (GUI). Open the virtual machine console window.

: The VM must be able to reach the internet to "phone home" and activate its license. 3. Step-by-Step Installation & Activation

Set up Domain Name System (DNS) servers so the unit can resolve Fortinet activation hostnames:

No access to official Fortinet Technical Assistance Center (TAC) support. 2. Prerequisites and Account Registration

Ensure your local firewall rules allow outbound traffic on HTTPS port 443. Run execute nslookup ://fortinet.com on the FortiGate CLI to verify your DNS settings are resolving correctly.

After the reboot process completes, log back into the Web GUI or CLI to confirm the license state.

Navigate to the ( ://fortinet.com ) and log in.

A: No. Fortinet’s portal will reject the serial number. You must delete the VM and redeploy (which generates a new serial number).

When prompted for a license, select or Login with FortiCloud . Enter your FortiCloud credentials .

Once the VM has internet access, log in to the Web GUI (HTTPS://[your-ip]). You will be prompted with an activation screen: Select . Enter your FortiCloud credentials .

This public link is valid for 7 days and shares a thread, including any personal information you added. This link or copies made by others cannot be deleted. If you share with third parties, their policies apply. Can’t copy the link right now. Try again later.

Once the VM powers on, open the console. Log in with the default credentials: admin Password: (Leave blank/press Enter) You will be prompted to set a new password.

Typically restricted to 1 vCPU and 2GB of RAM.

Verify the interface has pulled an IP address and can ping external networks: execute ping 8.8.8.8 Use code with caution. Step 5: Activate the Trial License

You’ll need VMware ESXi/Workstation, KVM, Nutanix, or Microsoft Hyper-V. 2. Download the FortiGate VM Image Log in to the Fortinet Support Portal . Navigate to Support > VM Images .

Includes IPS, SSL VPN, Antivirus, Web Filtering, and SD-WAN [1].

The system will connect to the server, register the allocation, and initiate a hardware restart. 7. Verifying Successful Activation