The default route is used if either there are no other routes in the routing table or if none of the other routes apply to a destination. Including the gateway in the default route gives all traffic a next-hop address to use when leaving the local network. The gateway address is normally another router on the edge of the local network.

All routers, including FortiGate units, are shipped with default routes in place. This allows customers to set up and become operational more quickly. Beginner administrators can use the default route settings until a more advanced configuration is warranted.

FortiGate units come with a default static route with an IPv4 address of 0.0.0.0, an administration distance of 10, and a gateway IPv4 address.