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Fortinet NSE 7 - SD-WAN

This intermediate Fortinet NSE 7 - SD-WAN training prepares network security admins to configure and manage some of Fortinet's most advanced security features for their family of SD-WAN network solutions. In addition to specific, applicable administration and configuration skills, this Fortinet SD-WAN course will prepare you for one of the concentration exams needed to earn the NSE 7.

Updated January 2023

10Skills
87Videos
11hTotal

Who This Course Is For

This Fortinet NSE 7 - SD-WAN training is considered advanced Fortinet training, which means it was designed for network security architects. This Fortinet SD-WAN skills course is designed for network security architects with three to five years of experience with Fortinet network security.

Skills Your Team Will Gain

  • Configuring SD-WAN rules, routing, and traffic shaping
  • Deploying SD-WAN direct internet access (DIA) on FortiGates by using FortiManager
  • Configuring centralized management for Fortinet SD-WANs
  • Deploying and managing IPsec VPNs

Course Curriculum

One skill is free to watch — no signup needed. The other 9 premium skills unlock for your whole team with a CBT Nuggets plan.

Free skill preview

Building a Fortinet SD-WAN Lab

Keith BarkerDuration: 56m14 videos

Watch this complete skill free — the same trainer, videos, and labs your team gets with a plan.

Watch free skill
  • Building a Fortinet SD-WAN LabFree56m · 14 videos
  • Premium skill.Configure Fortinet SD-WAN Direct Internet Access49m · 22 videos
  • Premium skill.Using FortiManager with SD-WAN1h 18m · 20 videos
  • Premium skill.Configure IPsec VPNs with FortiManager53m · 18 videos
  • Premium skill.Integrating IPsec in Fortinet SD-WAN1h 1m · 22 videos
  • Premium skill.Using the Fortinet SD-WAN Overlay Template1h 12m · 18 videos
  • Premium skill.Troubleshooting Fortinet SD-WAN DIA1h 9m · 20 videos
  • Premium skill.Using Fortinet SD-WAN Fallback RIA1h 18m · 20 videos
  • Premium skill.Working with Fortinet SD-WAN SLAs & Rules1h 44m · 22 videos
  • Premium skill.Configuring Fortinet SD-WAN Traffic Shaping53m · 18 videos
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For IT leaders

What IT leaders need to know before assigning this course

Distributed networks create operational risk when SD-WAN policies, internet breakout, VPN overlays, and traffic controls are configured inconsistently. IT Directors can assign this advanced Fortinet NSE 7 - SD-WAN training to experienced network security architects, senior network security admins, and Team Leads who already work with Fortinet environments and need a deeper, operational SD-WAN skill set.

The course requires about 11 hours per learner and is best suited for teams with three to five years of Fortinet network security experience. It covers lab-building, Direct Internet Access, FortiManager-based administration, IPsec VPNs, overlay templates, fallback RIA, SLAs, SD-WAN rules, troubleshooting, and traffic shaping. For change management, assign it before SD-WAN expansion, internet breakout redesign, or FortiManager standardization so teams can align on repeatable configuration patterns. CBT Nuggets Playlists and Team Reporting can help Training Managers assign the course and track progress across the team.

Team Impact

How this training helps your team succeed

IT teams complete this training to improve how Fortinet SD-WAN is configured, managed, and troubleshot across production environments. The curriculum focuses on scenarios that affect uptime, user experience, and operational consistency.

  • Standardize SD-WAN administration: Use FortiManager with SD-WAN and overlay templates to reduce one-off configuration drift across sites.
  • Improve branch connectivity decisions: Configure Direct Internet Access, fallback RIA, SLAs, and SD-WAN rules so traffic follows defined business and performance requirements.
  • Strengthen secure connectivity: Configure and integrate IPsec VPNs into Fortinet SD-WAN designs for encrypted site-to-site communication.
  • Reduce troubleshooting time: Work through SD-WAN DIA troubleshooting and traffic shaping concepts so Team Leads can coach faster diagnosis of application and path-performance issues.

After completion

Capabilities your team walks away with

Knowledge

  • How Fortinet SD-WAN labs are structured for testing and validation.
  • How Direct Internet Access fits into a Fortinet SD-WAN design.
  • How FortiManager supports centralized SD-WAN administration.
  • How IPsec VPNs and SD-WAN overlays work together.
  • How SLAs, SD-WAN rules, fallback RIA, and traffic shaping influence path selection and performance.

Ability

  • Build a Fortinet SD-WAN lab environment for practice and validation.
  • Configure SD-WAN Direct Internet Access and troubleshoot DIA behavior.
  • Use FortiManager to manage SD-WAN settings and IPsec VPN configuration.
  • Apply Fortinet SD-WAN overlay templates for repeatable deployment patterns.
  • Configure SD-WAN SLAs, rules, fallback RIA, and traffic shaping to support operational requirements.

Readiness check

Confirm prerequisite knowledge before training begins

A short placement assessment on the CBT Nuggets assessments platform measures whether a learner already has the foundation this course assumes. IT Directors use it to put the right people in the right training — and any learner can take it right now to make sure they'll get full value from day one.

  • Questions generated from this course's own video transcripts — what gets measured is exactly what gets taught
  • Instant, per-learner results that show whether the prerequisite foundation is in place
  • Results roll up into team readiness reporting, so training hours go where they change outcomes
Runs on assessments.cbtnuggets.com — sign in with an Adept account so results roll up into team readiness reporting. Need one?
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Frequently Asked Questions

Is the Fortinet Certified Solution Specialist in Network Security certification worth it?

Formerly known as simply NSE 7, the Fortinet Certified Solution Specialist (FCSS) in Network Security certification stands for a high degree of familiarity with designing, administering, monitoring and troubleshooting security solutions on a Fortinet-driven network environment. If the company you work for uses Fortinet technologies to secure their network, the certification is definitely worth it as a way to prove advanced competence with cybersecurity administration.

How much does the FCSS in Network Security and NSE 7: SD-WAN cost?

The NSE 7: SD-WAN exam itself costs $200. It's only an elective (or concentration) exam for a full certification, so when you pass that exam, you'll receive a badge. If you plan to earn the entire Fortinet Certified Solution Specialist (FCSS) in Network Security certification, you'll also need to study for and pass the core exam, NSE 7—Enterprise Firewall 7.2, which also costs $200. So the total cost for the FCSS in Network Security certification is $400 before training and prep costs.

How difficult is the NSE 7 - SD-WAN exam?

You can expect the NSE 7 - SD-WAN exam to be quite challenging due to the level of specificity in configuration knowledge that Fortinet expects from those who take it. The NSE 7 - SD-WAN isn't simply a test of your generic (though advanced) knowledge and skills in SD-WAN configuration, rules, routing and management. It's also a test of whether or not you can do so in a Fortinet environment, with their technologies, and according to their best practices.

Does the Fortinet Certified Solution Specialist in Network Security expire?

Yes, the FCSS in Network Security certification is good for only two years after you earn it. If it expires, you'll need to pass the core exam and an elective exam all over again. Although you can renew your FCSS in Network Security within six months of it expiring, unlike the other specialist-level certs from Fortinet, you will have to pass both the core and concentration exam again. Alternatively, you can earn Fortinet's expert-level cert (FCX) to renew your FCSS.

How to study for the NSE 7 - SD-WAN and the Fortinet FCSS?

Fortinet certification exams are difficult because they test not just a high-level understanding of network security configurations but also a practical mastery of Fortinet's proprietary technologies. Studying for Fortinet certification exams like the NSE 7 - SD-WAN requires gaining proficiency with FortiManager, FortiOS and FortiAnalyzer, in addition to becoming adept at configuring large-scale enterprise networks. Study with virtual labs and interactive simulations to deepen your practical understanding and boost your confidence in handling Fortinet technologies.

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