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Data Transfer Rate Converter

Convert a network or disk speed between bits per second (kbit/s, Mbit/s, Gbit/s), bytes per second (kB/s, MB/s, GB/s) and the binary units your operating system may use (KiB/s, MiB/s, GiB/s). It answers the common question of why a 100 Mbps connection downloads at about 12 MB/s, using exact factors rather than rounded rules of thumb.

Unit Converters Runs in your browser

Convert a Data Transfer Rate

Internet plans are sold in bits per second (Mbps) while downloads show bytes per second (MB/s). One byte is 8 bits, so 100 Mbps is at most 12.5 MB/s.

Decimals and scientific notation such as 2.5e3 are accepted.
Automatic shows exact results in full and rounds long ones to 12 significant digits.

How to Use the Data Transfer Rate

  1. Enter the number in Value to convert.
  2. Choose the rate unit you have in From unit and the one you need in To unit; the lists are grouped by system.
  3. The result, the multiplier and the formula appear straight away under the form. Swap units reverses the direction.
  4. Check the table for the same value in every unit, set Precision if you want fewer digits, or press Copy result.

About This Tool

Anyone comparing a broadband plan with real download speeds, network engineers sizing links, gamers and streamers checking upload rates, and people reading SSD or USB benchmark figures.

Input: A number and a unit  ·  Output: The same data transfer rate in every unit.

Features and Limitations

Features

  • Exact factors: 1 byte = 8 bits, decimal prefixes are powers of 1000 and binary prefixes powers of 1024.
  • Fifteen units grouped into network bit rates, file transfer byte rates and binary IEC units.
  • Shows the multiplier and a ready-made formula such as MB/s = Mbit/s × 0.125.
  • Same speed in every unit at once, with selectable precision.

Limitations

  • The result is a theoretical maximum. Real downloads lose roughly 5 to 10 % to protocol overhead (TCP/IP headers, encryption, retransmissions).
  • Some software labels binary units with decimal symbols (MB/s when it means MiB/s); check which one your program uses.
  • Results are computed in your browser; nothing you enter is sent to a server.

Example

100 Mbit/s = 12.5 MB/s ≈ 11.92 MiB/s. 1 Gbit/s = 125 MB/s. 50 MB/s = 400 Mbit/s. 10 MiB/s = 83.88608 Mbit/s.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why is my download speed eight times lower than my internet plan?

Plans are quoted in megabits per second and download managers show megabytes per second. A byte has 8 bits, so divide the Mbps figure by 8: a 200 Mbps plan can deliver at most 25 MB/s before overhead.

What is the difference between MB/s and MiB/s?

MB/s uses 1 000 000 bytes per megabyte; MiB/s uses 1 048 576 (2²⁰). Windows and some download tools show MiB values but label them MB, which makes figures look about 5 % lower than the decimal equivalent.

Is Mbps the same as MBps?

No. Lower-case b means bits and upper-case B means bytes. 1 MBps (megabyte per second) is 8 Mbps (megabits per second).

How long will a file take to download?

Divide the file size by the speed in matching units. A 4 GB file over 100 Mbps (12.5 MB/s) takes at least 4000 ÷ 12.5 = 320 seconds, about 5 minutes and 20 seconds. The download time calculator does this for you.

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