20 01-28005-0101-20041015 Fortinet Inc.
NAT/Route mode Getting started
Figure 4: Web protection profile settings
Planning the FortiGate configuration
Before you configure the FortiGate unit, you need to plan how to integrate the unit into
the network. Among other things, you must decide whether you want the unit to be
visible to the network, which firewall functions you want it to provide, and how you
want it to control the traffic flowing between its interfaces.
Your configuration plan depends on the operating mode that you select. The FortiGate
unit can be configured in one of two modes: NAT/Route mode (the default) or
Transparent mode.

NAT/Route mode

In NAT/Route mode, the FortiGate unit is visible to the network. Like a router, all its
interfaces are on different subnets. The following interfaces are available in
NAT/Route mode:
• Ports 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 can be connected to any networks. By default, the
FortiGate-300A interfaces have the following configuration
• LAN (L1, L2, L3, and L4) is a 4-port 10/100 Base-T switch that can connect to
up to four network devices or an internal network.
• Port 1 is the default interface to the 10/100 Base-T internal network (usually the
Internet).
• Port 2 is the default interface to the 10/100 Base-T external network.
• Port 3 can be connected to another 10/100 Base-T network such as a DMZ
network.
• Port 4 can be connected to another 10/100 Base-T network. Port 4 can also be
connected to other FortiGate-300 units if you are installing an HA cluster.
• Ports 5 and 6 can be connected to 10/100/1000 Base-T networks.