Fortinet NSE 6 - FortiSwitch

For IT leaders: When FortiSwitch access layers are managed by FortiGate over FortiLink, misconfigured VLANs, trunks, or spanning tree can trigger loops, broadcast storms, and outages. Many teams that run FortiGate firewalls never configure the switching side well.

Role fit: This is intermediate, professional-level training for network and security engineers with three to five years of network security infrastructure experience. It suits teams that run FortiGate and FortiSwitch together, manage standalone FortiSwitches, or connect FortiSwitches to Cisco switches using CDP discovery.

Time investment: Plan for about 9.4 hours per learner across 8 skills. These cover:

• Managed mode and standalone mode
• Topologies and STP tuning
• Ports, VLANs, and trunking
• Layer 2 security
• QoS
• Monitoring and troubleshooting

The troubleshooting skill builds a full FortiGate and FortiSwitch network from scratch and works through real issues in both the GUI and CLI.

Certification path: The course prepares engineers for the Fortinet NSE 6 - FortiSwitch exam.

Change-management note: FortiSwitch behavior can vary by hardware model, firmware version, and management mode. Confirm platform support and change-control requirements before learners apply advanced configurations, including routing, in production.

Before assigning: Team Leads can preview the FortiSwitch Topologies and STP skill to judge fit before assigning the full course.

FortiSwitch skills matter when your network team has to extend FortiGate security down to the access layer without adding outages or contractor hours. In the course, trainer Keith Barker builds an entire FortiGate and FortiSwitch network from scratch, including FortiLink, VLANs, and routing. He works through the issues that come up along the way using both the GUI and CLI. Your team sees the same problems they will hit in production and how to resolve them.

• Fewer Layer 2 outages: IT Practitioners learn how Spanning Tree prevents loops and broadcast storms. They also learn how link aggregation provides fault-tolerant parallel paths and how to tune STP so it works for the network, not against it.
• Traffic prioritization for time-sensitive services: Teams see why voice traffic may need priority over email and other delay-tolerant traffic when the network is congested.
• Faster remote troubleshooting: Engineers use the routing, NAT, and rights checklist to diagnose problems. They also use FortiSwitch event logs, cable tests, Layer 2 discovery (including CDP to existing Cisco switches), and direct SSH access to every switch in a stack, so issues get fixed without a site visit.
• Flexible deployments: Team Leads gain staff who can run FortiSwitch in managed mode through a FortiGate or in standalone mode. In standalone mode, that includes private VLANs, access control lists, and dynamic routing where the hardware and license support it.

The result is a team that can design, secure, and support a FortiSwitch environment while preparing for the NSE 6 - FortiSwitch exam.

Knowledge

• How FortiSwitch operates in managed mode (controlled by a FortiGate over FortiLink) versus standalone mode, and when each fits
• Layer 2 topology options and how Spanning Tree Protocol prevents loops and broadcast storms across parallel paths
• How ports, VLANs, trunking, and link aggregation work together to balance fault tolerance with loop prevention
• The Layer 2 security features available on FortiSwitch as part of a defense-in-depth strategy
• How traffic prioritization supports latency-sensitive traffic such as voice
• Which capabilities, such as dynamic routing with OSPF, BGP, IS-IS, and RIP, require an enhanced FortiSwitch license

Ability

• Deploy and monitor managed FortiSwitches from the FortiGate, including faceplate views, cable tests, diagnostics, and FortiSwitch event logs
• Configure VLANs, trunks, and link aggregation, and enable CDP for discovery when connecting to Cisco switches
• Tune and optimize Spanning Tree in a FortiSwitch stack so it works for the network, not against it
• Apply a structured troubleshooting method with GUI and CLI tools while building a FortiGate and FortiSwitch network from scratch
• Bootstrap and manage standalone switches through the GUI, including static routes and core switch management tasks
• Set up direct SSH access from a management PC to every switch in a FortiSwitch stack