Project Overview
For this large-scale manufacturing warehouse in North Jersey, we delivered a full Fortinet network infrastructure overhaul across a complex, high-density facility environment:
FortiGate Firewall Configuration: Deployed and configured FortiGate firewalls with custom firewall access policies, VLAN segmentation, and user access provisioning — replacing legacy configurations and removing unnecessary rules to harden the network perimeter.
Fortinet Switching Infrastructure: Factory reset and reconfigured all 28 FortiSwitches, successfully adopting 25 switches in the initial phase with full adoption completed in the final rollout. Resolved DAC cable speed inconsistencies impacting inter-switch performance.
Enterprise Wi-Fi Deployment: Deployed and adopted 43 FortiAPs across the warehouse floor, achieving full wireless coverage for 100+ users. Updated SSIDs, access policies, and added dedicated VLANs for printer traffic to isolate and optimize device communication.
10G Backbone Upgrade: Upgraded backbone connectivity from 1G to 10G between core switches, delivering a significant throughput increase to support the facility's high-density operational demands.
Network Segmentation & Documentation: Created structured VLANs for user traffic, printer traffic, and management access. Produced full network diagrams and conducted an introductory architecture review with facility stakeholders prior to deployment.
Key Challenges
Scale & Density: Coordinating the adoption of 43 APs and 28 switches across a large warehouse floor required precise staging, sequencing, and on-site troubleshooting to avoid cascading failures during deployment.
Legacy Configuration Cleanup: The existing FortiGate contained outdated and conflicting configurations that needed to be identified, stripped, and rebuilt cleanly before new policies could be applied safely.
NTP & DAC Cable Issues: Identified and resolved NTP synchronization failures affecting switch stability, and diagnosed DAC cable speed mismatches causing throughput bottlenecks between backbone switches.
Zero-Disruption Requirement: All switching, AP adoption, and firewall changes were sequenced to maintain operational continuity throughout the active warehouse environment with no disruption to daily operations.
Results
Full Facility Coverage: 43 FortiAPs deployed with 100% wireless coverage across the warehouse floor, supporting 100+ active users simultaneously.
10x Backbone Speed Increase: Core backbone upgraded from 1G to 10G, eliminating throughput bottlenecks and future-proofing the infrastructure for operational growth.
Reduced Downtime: Proactive VLAN segmentation and firewall policy hardening significantly reduced network-related incidents and unplanned downtime across the facility.
Clean, Documented Infrastructure: Full network diagrams and structured configurations delivered to the client, enabling faster troubleshooting and easier future expansion.
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