Why would you need an expensive switch for CF tunnels??
It bypasses the switch and forms a tunnel directly to the machine and you don’t need to change any configuration on the switch
Both options can expose any service as long as the machine has internet
Definitely nothing new, that’s been going on since before I got into 3d printing like 7 years ago.
There was a point where having a good first layer was actually critical to having good print bed adhesion and successful prints. 99% of problems were solved by re leveling the bed and/or cleaning it.
Now, with abl and fancy tools like lidar and better bed surfaces, it’s not nearly as essentially to get a perfect first layer, but it’s still a sign of a well calibrated printer.
I dare say it’s one of those things that’s just hung around because as waves of new users join the community (especially around times like Xmas when a lot of new people join), they start researching stuff and see older users posting about their first layer and think of it as some kind of rite of passage, so they post theirs… And then the next group come in and see it, wash rinse repeat…