Fortinet NSE 4/5 Physical Lab Requirements
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Last updated: 2026-06-28

1. Core Hardware
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- FortiGate firewall (physical or eval VM).
  Recommendation: FortiGate-60F/80F for NSE 4 hands-on, or FortiGate-VM eval (free 15-day trial, renewable).
- Managed switch with VLAN support (Cisco 2960-CG, TP-Link TL-SG3210, or any L2+).
- Router or Layer-3 switch for multi-segment routing practice (optional; FortiGate can do this).

2. Access & Cabling
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- Console cable: USB-to-RJ45 serial (or built-in USB console on newer FortiGates).
- Ethernet patch cables: Cat5e/Cat6, at least 6 cables.
- USB-to-Ethernet adapter if your workstation lacks a dedicated NIC for lab segmentation.
- Optional: USB-to-Serial adapter for switch console access.

3. Workstation
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- 16 GB RAM minimum (32 GB preferred) to run multiple VMs/containers simultaneously.
- 100 GB free SSD storage for VM disk images.
- CPU with VT-x/AMD-V (required for nested virtualization if running VMs inside VMs).

4. Client Devices
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- 2x Linux VMs or physical boxes (Ubuntu/Debian) to simulate internal LAN/WAN hosts.
- 1x Windows VM (Windows 10/11) for FortiClient SSL-VPN, AD/LDAP simulation, and endpoint testing.

5. Optional Hardware
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- FortiAP (e.g., FAP-221E) for wireless controller/SSID practice (NSE 4 wireless topics).
- FortiAnalyzer-VM or small physical unit (FML-200F) for NSE 5 log aggregation.
- FortiManager-VM for NSE 5 centralized management.
- USB flash drive for firmware recovery/installation exercises.

6. Licensing
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- FortiGate-VM eval: register on Fortinet support portal, download 15-day eval license.
- FortiAnalyzer-VM: 15-day eval available.
- FortiManager-VM: 15-day eval available.
- FortiClient EMS: free tier available for endpoint/VPN testing.

7. Safety & Reset
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- Keep factory reset button accessible on physical FortiGate.
- Document serial numbers and default mgmt IPs before changing them.
- Maintain a TFTP server (see lab-scripts/setup-tftp.sh) for firmware recovery.

8. Estimated Budget (USD, used/refurb)
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- FortiGate-60F (used): $300–500
- Managed switch (used): $50–150
- Cables & adapters: $30–50
- Extra RAM for workstation: $40–80
- Total hardware outlay (if buying): ~$420–780
- Virtual-only lab: $0 (all eval licenses)

9. Exam Logistics
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- Pearson VUE testing center or online proctored exam.
- Government-issued photo ID required.
- NSE 4: ~60 questions, 120 minutes.
- NSE 5: ~35 questions, 70 minutes (per product track; FAZ/FMG/SIEM/EDR).
- Passing score varies by exam form; target 80%+ on practice tests.