Fortinet FortiAuthenticator 800G in Dubai, UAE
FortiAuthenticator 800G, model FAC-800G, is designed for organisations that want to centralise user identity, authentication, certificate and access services rather than managing these functions separately across many network systems. It combines enterprise authentication capabilities with a hardware platform sized for an 8,000-user base deployment and an upgrade path to 18,000 users.
For a procurement team, the important question is not simply whether FAC-800G has sufficient user capacity. The correct design also depends on RADIUS and TACACS+ client counts, FortiToken requirements, directory integration, SSO methods, certificate workflows, high availability, accessories, support and the intended implementation scope.
Plan the exact requirement
Share user count, authentication sources, required MFA method, target applications, HA expectations and deployment location. FourTeck can use that information to help prepare the appliance, licenses and services required for a practical quotation.
Direct answer for buyers
The Fortinet FortiAuthenticator 800G is a physical identity and access management appliance used to centralise authentication, single sign-on, multi-factor authentication integration, certificate services and guest access functions. It is primarily aimed at organisations whose identity requirements have moved beyond small-site scale and that want a dedicated platform for thousands of users. Buyers should confirm total users, network access server count, directory sources, RADIUS or TACACS+ usage, SSO requirements, certificate workflows, FortiToken quantities, high-availability architecture and any optional licenses before proceeding. The base hardware user entitlement is not the same thing as a complete project bill of materials, so licensing and implementation scope should be reviewed together.
What the appliance does
FortiAuthenticator provides identity services that help network and security platforms make access decisions based on a verified user rather than only an IP address or device location. It can participate in RADIUS-based authentication, TACACS+ administrative access control, Fortinet Single Sign-On, SAML-based identity workflows, OAuth2/OIDC services, SCIM provisioning and certificate-related use cases. It can also support guest and captive portal processes where a controlled onboarding workflow is needed.
This concentration of identity functions is valuable when an organisation wants a consistent point for authentication and user context across firewalls, remote-access services, wireless networks, applications and administrative systems. The design should still be mapped carefully to the systems that will consume those identity services.
Who should consider FAC-800G
FAC-800G is most relevant when the expected identity population is in the thousands, the organisation requires central authentication for several systems, or the project needs an appliance with growth room beyond an 8,000-user starting point. Typical environments may include multi-building campuses, larger corporate groups, healthcare networks, hospitality portfolios, education environments, public-sector infrastructure, financial services and regional businesses with centralised IT.
It may be excessive for a small office with a few hundred identities and limited integration needs. It can also be the wrong choice when a cloud-hosted service or virtual appliance is the preferred architecture. FourTeck can help compare hardware, virtual and cloud deployment choices before a purchase decision.
Business challenges this platform can help address
Fragmented authentication
Different network devices, VPN services and applications can end up using separate identity methods. FortiAuthenticator provides a central service layer that can reduce this fragmentation when the surrounding systems are integrated correctly.
Limited user context
Identity-based policy works best when security controls can map traffic to known users and groups. FSSO and directory integration help provide that context, subject to the selected method and deployment design.
MFA consistency
MFA can become difficult to manage if each service uses a separate approach. FortiAuthenticator can provide centralised authentication workflows with FortiToken or FIDO-based options, while required tokens and related services must be ordered appropriately.
Certificate operations
Certificate-based VPN, wireless and ZTNA projects require lifecycle processes as well as cryptographic trust. FortiAuthenticator includes certificate management functions that can support these projects when policies, endpoints and integration are planned correctly.
Capabilities that matter in a real deployment
Product-fit matrix
| Requirement | Suitable when | Confirm before ordering |
|---|---|---|
| User population | A central identity appliance is required for up to 8,000 base users with planned growth. | Current local and remote user total and three-to-five-year growth forecast. |
| Expansion | The organisation may need to grow above 8,000 users without moving immediately to a larger platform. | Required hardware user-upgrade quantities; upper limit is 18,000 users. |
| Network authentication | RADIUS, 802.1X, VPN or administrative authentication is part of the design. | NAS-device count, authentication flows, certificate needs and device compatibility. |
| MFA | FortiToken, FIDO, email or other supported MFA methods are required. | Token type, quantity, SMS gateway or FortiGuard SMS requirement, and user enrollment plan. |
| Availability architecture | Authentication service must be designed with appliance high availability in mind. | Number of nodes, network path, synchronization approach, maintenance model and service dependencies. |
Verified FAC-800G information
| Brand | Fortinet |
| Product | FortiAuthenticator 800G |
| Model / SKU | FAC-800G |
| Product type | FortiAuthenticator identity and access management hardware appliance |
| GE RJ45 interfaces | 4 |
| GE SFP interfaces | 2 |
| Local storage | 2 × 2 TB SSD according to current Fortinet ordering information |
| Base local + remote users | 8,000 |
| Upgrade upper limit | 18,000 local + remote users using hardware upgrade licenses |
| User-upgrade SKUs | FAC-HW-100UG, FAC-HW-1000UG and FAC-HW-10KUG are listed for compatible hardware models; upgrade quantities should be validated for the planned total. |
| MFA options | FortiToken Mobile, hardware FortiToken, email, FIDO passwordless, adaptive authentication and other supported methods. Token and SMS dependencies apply. |
| High availability | Active-passive and load-balancing capabilities are listed for FortiAuthenticator appliance deployments; project topology should be validated before purchase. |
| Optional power supply | SP-FAC300G-PS is listed as a power-supply module for FAC-300G and FAC-800G. |
| Availability | Contact FourTeck for current UAE availability, license options, quantity-based lead time and project coordination. |
Licensing, token and compatibility dependencies
The FAC-800G base user entitlement should not be interpreted as including every authentication component a project may require. Fortinet lists software and hardware tokens as separate purchases. FortiGuard SMS licensing is needed when the Fortinet SMS service is used, although a suitable third-party SMS gateway may be another design option. FIDO FTK400 tokens are purchased separately. The FortiClient SSO Mobility Agent also has a separate license. Hardware user upgrades must be sized so the final licensed population stays within the supported upper limit for the appliance.
Compatibility is equally important. Directory versions, network access devices, VPN gateways, firewalls, wireless controllers, application SAML requirements, certificate clients and third-party identity services should be checked against the planned FortiAuthenticator release and the exact integration method. A quotation should therefore distinguish the appliance, expansion licenses, tokens, support, accessories and professional services instead of presenting one undifferentiated line item.
A practical purchase and deployment journey
Map identities
Count local and remote users, contractors, administrators and service accounts that will rely on the platform. Separate current demand from growth so user-upgrade licensing can be sized realistically.
Map authentication flows
Identify RADIUS, TACACS+, SAML, OIDC, FSSO, 802.1X, VPN, guest and certificate workflows. This prevents a purchase based only on total users while overlooking operational requirements.
Select dependencies
Define FortiToken quantities, SMS requirements, mobility-agent licensing, user upgrades, support and optional accessories. Confirm the bill of materials before issuing a purchase order.
Design resilience
Decide whether the authentication service requires HA, how failover should behave, how network paths are separated and what maintenance procedures apply to an identity-critical service.
Implement in stages
Configure core networking, directories and policies, then onboard selected services and users in controlled phases. Test fallback, MFA enrollment, certificates and authentication logging before wider rollout.
Identity context for network policy
One of the strongest reasons to deploy FortiAuthenticator is to give security infrastructure more dependable identity context. A firewall policy based only on source IP addresses is limited when users move between networks, share address pools or connect through remote-access services. FortiAuthenticator can use methods such as FortiGate polling, collector-agent integration, syslog, RSSO and SSO components to associate users with sessions and groups. In a Fortinet-oriented environment, this can support policy decisions that align more closely with business roles.
The design still needs precision. Buyers should identify how users authenticate today, how quickly identity changes must propagate, whether domain-joined and non-domain devices need different treatment, and whether guest identities are part of the same access model. For remote or roaming users, determine whether the selected SSO method covers the required scenarios and whether the FortiClient SSO Mobility Agent license is needed.
This is where sizing becomes more than a user-count exercise. A successful deployment connects directory architecture, network topology, policy design and endpoint behaviour. FourTeck can help document these dependencies before a quote so that the chosen appliance is matched to the intended identity workflow rather than selected solely by capacity.
MFA, passwordless access and enrollment planning
FortiAuthenticator supports several multi-factor and stronger-authentication options, including FortiToken Mobile, hardware FortiToken, email authentication, FIDO passwordless methods and adaptive authentication. These capabilities allow an organisation to build different policies for staff, privileged users, contractors or remote access, but the final experience depends on the surrounding service and the authentication method selected.
Procurement should account for the fact that software and hardware tokens are separate purchases. FIDO FTK400 tokens are also separate. Where SMS is used, a FortiGuard SMS license or suitable third-party gateway is required. The number of enrolled users, replacement-token process, lost-device process, recovery method and help-desk workflow should be defined before rollout. Large deployments should also plan communication and enrollment stages so MFA does not become an uncontrolled support event.
The best method is not automatically the one with the largest feature list. It is the one that fits user risk, application support, device availability, administrative effort and recovery requirements. FourTeck can help translate those conditions into token quantities, authentication methods and a deployment scope for the quotation.
Certificate services and access infrastructure
Certificate-based authentication can reduce reliance on reusable passwords and is commonly relevant to enterprise wireless, VPN and zero-trust access projects. FortiAuthenticator includes server- and user-certificate management functions and supports protocols such as SCEP and CMPv2. The platform can therefore form part of a broader certificate workflow for users and systems, subject to compatibility with the endpoints and applications that consume the certificates.
A certificate project should define who receives certificates, how identity proofing occurs, what key lengths and policies apply, where certificates are stored, what happens when a device is lost, and how revocation is handled. The network design must also consider whether certificates are used for 802.1X, remote access, internal applications, ZTNA or multiple services. Lifecycle administration is as important as initial issuance because expired or unrevoked credentials can create operational and security problems.
If FAC-800G is being purchased for a certificate-led project, include endpoint, wireless, firewall and application teams in the requirement review. FourTeck can assist with integration planning and configuration scope, while final certificate policy should align with the organisation’s security and compliance framework.
Where FAC-800G can fit well
Enterprise campus
A large campus may need 802.1X authentication, directory integration, guest onboarding and policy identity for wired, wireless and firewall controls. FAC-800G provides a central platform for these workflows when capacity and network access server counts are verified.
Regional corporate network
A multi-site business can centralise authentication services for branches, administrators and remote users rather than configuring each site independently. WAN resilience and dependency on central services should be part of the design.
Healthcare and regulated environments
Strong identity, role mapping, MFA and certificate workflows can support access-control objectives in regulated organisations. The product does not itself guarantee compliance; policies, logs, processes and surrounding controls must be designed accordingly.
Hospitality and guest networks
Guest and captive-portal capabilities can support controlled onboarding in hotels or visitor-heavy environments. The organisation should define guest lifecycle, data-retention policy, sponsor process and integration with the wireless and security infrastructure.
Integration considerations
Document Active Directory or LDAP sources, identity groups, network device types, VPN infrastructure, wireless systems, application SAML requirements and certificate consumers. Where third-party platforms are involved, confirm the exact supported protocol and authentication flow rather than assuming that standards support guarantees identical behaviour.
Change control is important because moving authentication for administrators or remote users can affect business access immediately. Pilot representative use cases and keep a tested fallback path during migration.
Operational considerations
Assign clear ownership for identity data, token issuance, certificate administration, device integration, backups, upgrades, authentication logs and user support. An identity platform becomes operationally critical once multiple services depend on it, so maintenance windows and administrator access should be planned carefully.
If high availability is required, test failover and recovery procedures as part of implementation rather than treating HA as a procurement checkbox.
Buyer questions to resolve before ordering
Use actual identity counts rather than employee headcount alone. Contractors, administrators and remote users may affect the licensed population.
List firewalls, switches, wireless controllers, VPN systems and administrative endpoints that will use FortiAuthenticator.
Determine mobile tokens, hardware tokens, FIDO, email, SMS or adaptive policies and include separate token or service purchases where required.
Authentication is often a critical dependency. Decide the required resilience architecture before the appliance quantity is fixed.
Capture application-side requirements early so authentication design can be validated rather than discovered during implementation.
A hardware quotation should distinguish physical supply from identity migration, policy configuration, application integration, testing and handover.
Procurement checklist for FAC-800G
FourTeck consultation, sizing and configuration assistance
A FortiAuthenticator quotation is more useful when it starts with identity architecture rather than a product code. FourTeck can help the buyer clarify users, remote-access groups, administrative accounts, authentication clients, directory sources, MFA methods, certificate requirements and expected growth. From there, the appliance quantity, user-upgrade licenses, token quantities, accessories and support can be organised into a clearer bill of materials.
For projects that need more than supply, FourTeck can also discuss implementation scope such as initial appliance setup, network configuration, directory integration, RADIUS or TACACS+ onboarding, SSO workflows, MFA enrollment planning, policy configuration, testing and handover. The final service scope depends on the customer’s current environment and should be stated explicitly in the quotation.
You can review related FourTeck security products, explore implementation and support services, or contact FourTeck with your user and integration requirements.
UAE availability and support guidance
Contact FourTeck to confirm current UAE availability for Fortinet FortiAuthenticator 800G, because availability may depend on quantity, licensing, vendor lead time and the specific support or accessory combination requested. Delivery and project coordination can be discussed after the exact requirement is confirmed. If installation, configuration or migration is needed, include that scope in the quotation instead of assuming it is bundled with the appliance.
FourTeck can coordinate requirements for businesses in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Sharjah and Ajman through one combined project discussion. For multi-site deployments, share each intended location, WAN dependency and rollout sequence so the identity architecture and logistics can be reviewed together. This is particularly important for high-availability or phased migration projects where the sequence of deployment can affect user access.
GCC Availability
FourTeck can assist organisations planning FortiAuthenticator 800G requirements across GCC markets by reviewing the exact model, user capacity, token quantities, license expansion, support and implementation needs before quotation. Regional procurement can involve different delivery routes, vendor lead times, service arrangements and project timelines, so it is useful to provide the destination country and deployment plan at the beginning of the discussion.
For projects in the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain or Oman, confirm the quantity of FAC-800G appliances, required user capacity, authentication integrations, support term, deployment locations and target schedule. Availability, licensing, service visits and delivery timing can vary by country, model, quantity and requirement. FourTeck can coordinate requirement review, bill-of-material preparation, configuration scope and regional project planning without assuming stock or a fixed installation date. For Kuwait-related requirements, buyers can also review FourTeck Kuwait information.
Africa Availability
For organisations in Africa evaluating FortiAuthenticator 800G, FourTeck can help structure the procurement discussion around the exact appliance, user scale, optional user-upgrade licenses, FortiToken requirements, accessories, authentication integrations and support expectations. Regional projects should also consider destination-specific shipping, power and regulatory conditions as well as the practical availability of onsite resources when implementation services are requested.
Availability and fulfilment may depend on the destination, product quantity, vendor lead time, license region, shipping arrangements and project scope. Buyers in East Africa or other African regions should share the destination country, exact user requirement, desired schedule and any installation, migration or support expectations. FourTeck can then provide appropriate guidance rather than making assumptions about local stock or service coverage. Regional information is available through FourTeck Africa, FourTeck Kenya and FourTeck Uganda.
Related products, services and planning options
FortiToken options
Plan FortiToken Mobile, hardware token or suitable FIDO choices according to user risk and device availability. Tokens are separate purchases.
FortiGate integration
FortiAuthenticator can provide identity context and authentication services for FortiGate environments. See Fortinet firewall solutions for related planning.
Installation and configuration
Professional services can be scoped for directory integration, RADIUS, TACACS+, SSO, MFA, certificates, testing and migration based on the current environment.
Virtual or cloud alternatives
If hardware is not the preferred architecture, FortiAuthenticator virtual and cloud deployment models can be evaluated separately. Capacity, licensing and HA models differ.
Why businesses contact FourTeck for this type of project
The practical value is requirement clarification. A buyer may know that FAC-800G is the target model but still need to confirm whether the base user entitlement is enough, which upgrade SKU is needed, how many tokens should be purchased, whether SSO mobility licensing applies, whether HA changes the appliance count, and which professional services should be included. FourTeck can help turn these open questions into a bill of materials that procurement can evaluate.
FourTeck can also help separate product supply from design, installation, configuration, migration and support activities. This makes quotations easier to compare and reduces the risk of discovering important dependencies after hardware is ordered. For background on the company and its technology services, visit about FourTeck.
How buyers are evaluating FortiAuthenticator 800G
Most buyers researching FAC-800G are trying to answer a small number of practical questions: how many users the appliance really supports, whether the base license is enough, what the hardware includes, how FortiAuthenticator differs from a simple RADIUS server, whether FortiToken is included, how it integrates with Active Directory and FortiGate, and what must be purchased for high availability. These are better questions than asking only for a price because the hardware is one part of a larger identity design.
Another common comparison is between a dedicated hardware appliance and a virtual or hosted identity service. Hardware can be attractive where the organisation wants a dedicated on-premises platform, predictable physical ownership and established data-centre operations. A virtual appliance can make sense where virtual infrastructure is already highly available and the organisation prefers software-defined deployment. A cloud service may reduce on-premises infrastructure but changes licensing, operational dependencies and architecture. There is no universal winner; the decision should match where the organisation wants the authentication dependency to live.
Buyers also search for whether FortiAuthenticator can replace Microsoft NPS or another RADIUS system. The useful way to frame that decision is by functions rather than product names. If the current system only provides basic RADIUS for a small number of devices, a full FortiAuthenticator platform may add more capability than is necessary. If the requirement includes RADIUS, TACACS+, Fortinet SSO, SAML, OIDC, SCIM, MFA, guest access, certificate services and integration across many Fortinet controls, consolidating those functions on FortiAuthenticator can be operationally attractive. Migration must still be tested because existing RADIUS policies, certificate chains and device-specific attributes can behave differently.
Price research often shows a wide spread between public reseller figures, list prices and project quotations. Hardware-only prices do not necessarily include FortiCare, user expansion, token licensing, spare power modules, professional services or regional logistics. That is why a meaningful quotation request should include the expected user total, number of appliances, HA requirement, token quantity, support term and deployment country. Procurement teams can then compare equivalent scopes rather than comparing a bare appliance against a complete identity project.
For organisations integrating Active Directory, the key question is how identity information will be consumed. FortiAuthenticator can integrate with third-party LDAP or Active Directory systems and use group or role information in authentication workflows. The directory remains an important source of user data, while FortiAuthenticator acts as an identity and authentication service for consuming network and application platforms. Before deployment, document domain structure, group mappings, service accounts, redundancy of directory controllers and any firewall rules required between FortiAuthenticator and those systems.
High availability is another area where buyers should move beyond feature checklists. Fortinet lists active-passive and load-balancing capabilities for appliance deployments, but the project design must still decide where nodes are located, which interfaces and networks are used, how dependent services locate the nodes, and how upgrades will be performed. If authentication is needed for VPN, administrators, wired access and wireless access, an outage can affect a large portion of the organisation, making resilience planning materially important.
Finally, buyers often ask whether FAC-800G is appropriate for Dubai or UAE enterprise deployments. The model’s technical suitability is independent of city, but procurement details such as current availability, support term, lead time and implementation scheduling must be confirmed locally. FourTeck can use the organisation’s user count, authentication flows and rollout plan to prepare a more accurate UAE quotation and implementation discussion.
Questions buyers ask before they shortlist the appliance
Do I size FAC-800G by employees or by authenticated identities?
Size by the local and remote users that will be licensed and served by FortiAuthenticator, not simply by payroll headcount. A business may have contractors, privileged administrators, external users or service-related identities that change the total. Start with current identities, then add realistic growth and migration phases. If the number exceeds 8,000, include hardware user-upgrade licensing while keeping the final total within the 18,000-user upper limit.
What should be tested before replacing an existing RADIUS service?
Test every important network access device type, expected RADIUS attributes, MFA sequence, certificate method, VLAN assignment, change of authorization workflow and fallback behaviour. A pilot group is preferable to a single cutover because switch, wireless, VPN and firewall integrations may use different policies. Keep a rollback path until representative users and administrators have passed end-to-end tests.
Does buying FAC-800G automatically include FortiToken licenses?
No. Fortinet’s ordering guidance states that software and hardware tokens are purchased separately. FIDO hardware tokens are also separate, and SMS-based authentication needs a FortiGuard SMS license or an appropriate third-party gateway. The quotation should therefore state token type and quantity explicitly rather than relying on the appliance description.
How do I know whether the 800G is too large or too small?
Compare the required licensed population with the 8,000-user base and 18,000-user upper limit, then consider NAS-device count, integration complexity and resilience. If the project is materially below this scale, a smaller model or virtual approach may be more appropriate. If growth is expected to exceed the upper limit, a larger FortiAuthenticator platform should be evaluated rather than relying on future workarounds.
What information makes a quotation accurate?
Provide exact model, quantity, current and future user count, required user-upgrade level, token type and quantity, support term, HA requirement, accessories, destination, and whether installation or migration is needed. For implementation, also identify directories, firewalls, switches, wireless systems, VPN services and applications that must be integrated.
Can a procurement team order the hardware before the design is complete?
It is possible, but it increases the risk of missing user expansion, tokens, an HA node, support or an accessory. Identity systems frequently touch many teams, so a short design review before purchase usually produces a clearer bill of materials and implementation plan. FourTeck can help conduct that requirement review as part of quotation preparation.
Frequently asked questions
What is the Fortinet FortiAuthenticator 800G?
FortiAuthenticator 800G, model FAC-800G, is a hardware identity and access management appliance that provides central authentication, SSO, MFA integration, guest services and certificate-management capabilities for enterprise environments.
How many users does FAC-800G support?
The base license supports up to 8,000 local and remote users. Fortinet lists an upgrade upper limit of 18,000 users using compatible FortiAuthenticator hardware user-upgrade licenses.
What ports and storage are included on the 800G?
Current Fortinet ordering information lists four GE RJ45 ports, two GE SFP ports and two 2 TB SSDs for FAC-800G. Buyers should use the exact G-series information rather than carrying specifications from earlier models into the order.
Are FortiTokens included with the appliance?
Fortinet states that software and hardware tokens are purchased separately. Token type and quantity should therefore be included explicitly in the project bill of materials where MFA is required.
Does FortiAuthenticator 800G support Active Directory integration?
FortiAuthenticator can integrate with third-party LDAP or Active Directory systems and use user, group or role information in authentication and SSO workflows. Exact directory architecture and release compatibility should be reviewed during design.
Can FAC-800G be used for RADIUS and TACACS+?
Yes. Fortinet lists RADIUS functions such as VPN authentication, administrator authentication, 802.1X, dynamic VLAN and change of authorization, together with TACACS+ administrative authentication and command authorization on appliance deployments.
Does the platform support high availability?
Fortinet lists active-passive HA and load-balancing capabilities for FortiAuthenticator appliance deployments. The exact node count, network topology and operational design should be confirmed before ordering.
What licenses may be needed in addition to the base appliance?
Depending on the project, additional items can include hardware user upgrades, FortiToken licenses, FIDO tokens, FortiGuard SMS licensing, FortiClient SSO Mobility Agent licensing, support and accessories. The requirement is configuration dependent.
Is FortiAuthenticator 800G available in Dubai and the UAE?
Contact FourTeck to confirm current UAE availability, quantity-based lead time and the required support and licensing combination. Availability can vary, so it should be checked at quotation time.
What should I send FourTeck for a quotation?
Send the FAC-800G quantity, current and future user count, MFA method, token quantity, RADIUS or TACACS+ client count, HA requirement, support term, deployment country and any installation or migration scope.
Confirm the appliance, licenses and deployment scope before purchase
Share your user count, identity sources, MFA requirements, HA design and target applications. FourTeck can help prepare a current FAC-800G quotation and discuss configuration, migration and UAE project coordination.
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