Structural redundancy is included in modern data transmission systems to ensure the specified reliability indicators. Structural redundancy gives the system fault tolerance and significantly increases its reliability. To manage the redundant resource, it is necessary to have additional tools that will connect the redundant equipment to the main configuration of the data transmission system. The redundant equipment is a separate technical means and, from the point of view of reliability, it is connected in series with other modules of the data transmission system. Thus, the inclusion of redundant connection facilities in the data transmission system reduces its reliability. In addition, even with perfect reliability, redundant connections may fail or malfunction and, under certain conditions, cause the transmission system to fail. To determine the impact of reserve connection facilities on the reliability of the transmission system, the article applies an original technology for building models of discrete-continuous stochastic systems. ASNA software was used as a software tool for modeling the reliable behavior of the data transmission system. This software provides automated construction of the model in the form of a graph of states and transitions based on a structural automaton model. Based on the graph of states and transitions, an analytical model is automatically generated in the form of a system of linear differential Kolmogorov-Chapman equations. Using the developed model, the article quantitatively analyzes the impact of redundant connection means (switches) on the reliability indicators of the data transmission system. In the study, the proposed models, unlike the existing ones, take into account both reliability indicators (probability of failure) and functionality indicators (probability of switching, speed) of the reserve connection means. On the basis of the developed model, the limit values of reliability and functionality of the redundant connection means (switches) were determined, at which they will minimize the reliability of the fault-tolerant data transmission system. Based on the analysis of the obtained results, practical recommendations for the selection of reliability indicators of the backup connection means, their speed and probability of switching are formed.