I keep seeing Perimeter 81 and other SASE platforms talk about needing a "connector" for on-prem servers. I'm trying to understand the real-world need.
I get that it's for accessing stuff not in the cloud, like a local database or legacy app. But why can't I just open a firewall port? Is the connector basically a secure, always-on tunnel that replaces having to configure inbound rules? A simple analogy would really help.
Yeah, that's exactly it - it's a secure tunnel. Opening a firewall port is like cutting a hole in your wall and hoping only the right people find it. The connector is more like installing a dedicated, locked phone line that only calls out to one specific number.
It also helps with the dynamic IP problem. My home office internet doesn't have a static IP, so if I just opened a port, the rule would break whenever my ISP changes it. The connector initiates the connection *from* my network, so it doesn't care what my public IP is.
Is the overhead significant? I'm always worried about adding another piece that could fail.