You receive access to limited FortiGuard updates. Advanced features like real-time AI virus definitions or web filtering categories require a paid subscription.
Enter your (the email and password used for the Fortinet Support Portal).
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Evaluation licenses do not include technical support from Fortinet. Limited Networking: Usually limited to 2 interfaces. Prerequisites Before Installation
You see "License invalid due to exceeding allowed 1 CPUs and 2048 MB RAM." Solution: This is the most common error. You have assigned more than 1 CPU or more than 2GB of RAM to the VM. Shut down the VM, edit its settings to meet the 1vCPU/2GB limit, and reboot. The "Permanent Trial" mode will only validate if the hardware matches the license limits. fortigate vm license trial install
If you prefer configuring your network assets purely through a terminal console: Open your CLI session. Execute the registration command:
The 1 vCPU/2GB RAM limitation is strict; do not attempt to run heavy traffic inspection. Conclusion
It supports only "low encryption," which is fine for a lab but not for secure production traffic.
Once the virtual appliance boots back up, log back into the web GUI to confirm that the firewall is fully operational. You receive access to limited FortiGuard updates
Open a web browser on a computer connected to the same network.
Warning: If you assign 2 vCPUs or 4 GB of RAM, the system will trigger a license violation during initialization, disabling the administrative web UI entirely. Step 5: Initial CLI Configuration
Before starting the installation, ensure you have the following:
You will be prompted to change the administrator password immediately. Create a secure password. This public link is valid for 7 days
get system status
This process can be broken down into four main phases: Downloading the image, deploying the virtual machine, performing the initial VM setup, and finally, activating the license.
Edit the VM hardware settings before powering it on to ensure it does not exceed 1 vCPU and 2 GB RAM . Exceeding these limits will cause the trial activation to fail. Option B: KVM / Proxmox VE
Click and select Deploy a virtual machine from an OVF or OVA file .