The FortiExtender 201E is part of a family of 3G/4G Wireless WAN extenders. This is not to be confused with Wi-Fi. FortiExtender integrates with FortiGate firewalls to provide a secure 3G/4G connection.
FortiExtenders are truly plug-and-play. Once connected to the FortiGate, they simply show up in FortiOS, providing single pane of glass management.
The FEX-201E connects to the FortiGate using a standard Ethernet cable. They can be physically separated from the FortiGate, which allows for installation near a window or outdoors to optimize 3G/4G signal strength.
The FEX-201E is also suitable for use as a secondary failover connection to the wired WAN link. In this capacity it will improve business continuity. And as a primary WAN link, it provides ultimate flexibility and choice for your WAN connectivity. An Power over Ethernet capability increases placement flexibility even further.
FortiExtenders are engineered to be installed in the best possible spot to achieve maximum 3G/4G LTE signal strength. The FEX-201E is powered with PoE, and both indoor and outdoor models are available. This enables the device to be located for optimal signal strength. And that can be up to 100m away from the FortiGate or Network Switch.
Flexible LAN Connectivity
FortiExtender 201E offers four LAN Ethernet ports. These enable multiple connections to the LTE connection. Each connected FortiGate can be directly connected to the FortiExtender.
Flexible WAN Connectivity
The FortiExtender 201E has new WAN connectivity options with an Ethernet WAN port, in addition to the LTE WAN links. With it, you can connect to a DSL, cable, or another modem for additional connectivity options. Load-balancing and failover enable you to manage your WAN connections across several options. This ensures connectivity at the best price point.
Flexible LTE Connectivity
All FortiExtender LTE appliances support dual SIM cards per radio. This enables you to use two different ISPs for LTE connectivity. While only one SIM card can be active on any radio, the dual SIM option enables you to switch between ISPs to optimize connectivity and minimize costs.
For example, you can configure the FortiExtender to utilize the link from ISP A until a certain data usage threshold is reached. Then, FortiExtender can automatically shift over to ISP B and use that LTE connection.
The FEX-201E is designed for optimal signal strength. It can be located indoors or outdoors to maximize 3G/4G LTE signal strength without using lossy antenna cables or limited strength USB modems. The FEX-201E has 1 x Dual SIM 3G/4G LTE CAT6 (600 Mbps) modem. It also has 5 GE RJ45 ports, and three SMA external antennas.
Advantages
The FortiExtender 201E extends FortiGate reachability and breadth of deployment. It supports high levels of redundancy and failover when failure is not an option. The E Series is great as a primary WAN link for retail POS, remote ATMs, and remote kiosk type systems.
FortiExtender offers wireless connectivity for nearly any network. Whether mobile sites, vehicle fleets, field forces, or OT and IoT environments, a FortiExtender exists to help you gain resilient, high-performance connectivity. Anywhere.
And Corporate Armor is here to help you make the very best decision for your networking and security needs. We are truly Fortinet specialists, and we are happy to answer all of your questions. So email us, or call 877-449-0458. Thanks for reading!