About the Data Transfer Rate Converter
Speeds of data are quoted in two different currencies. Internet plans, Wi-Fi routers, network cables and mobile networks are sold in bits per second — Mbps and Gbps. Download windows, file copies and drive specifications usually show bytes per second — MB/s. Because a byte is eight bits, the same connection looks eight times slower in one than the other, which is the single biggest source of confusion about internet speed.
This data transfer rate converter converts between ten rate units: bps, kbps, Mbps and Gbps; B/s, kB/s, MB/s and GB/s; and the binary KiB/s and MiB/s used by some download tools. It shows the result, the exact factor both ways, the rate in every unit, and how long 1 GB and 100 GB would take at that speed.
How to Use the Data Transfer Rate Converter
Enter the rate.
Choose the unit to convert from and to — for example, from Mbps, as your internet plan states it, to MB/s, as your browser shows downloads.
The result appears with the factor, all the other units and transfer times.
How Rate Conversion Works
Every unit is converted through bits per second:
1 kbps = 1,000 bit/s 1 kB/s = 8,000 bit/s
1 Mbps = 1,000,000 bit/s 1 MB/s = 8,000,000 bit/s
1 Gbps = 1,000,000,000 bit/s 1 GB/s = 8,000,000,000 bit/s
1 MiB/s = 1,048,576 B/s = 8,388,608 bit/s
MB/s = Mbps ÷ 8 Mbps = MB/s × 8
time for a file = size in bits ÷ rate in bits per secondStep-by-Step Example
100 Mbps to MB/s.
To bits per second: 100 × 1,000,000 = 100,000,000 bit/s
To MB/s: 100,000,000 ÷ 8,000,000 = 12.5 MB/sA 100 Mbps connection moves at most 12.5 MB/s. At that rate 1 GB takes 1 minute 20 seconds, and 100 GB about 2 hours 13 minutes.
1 Gbps is 125 MB/s, so 1 GB takes about 8 seconds.
25 MB/s going the other way is 25 × 8 = 200 Mbps.
Quick Reference
10 Mbps = 1.25 MB/s
50 Mbps = 6.25 MB/s
100 Mbps = 12.5 MB/s
500 Mbps = 62.5 MB/s
1 Gbps = 125 MB/s
10 Gbps = 1.25 GB/sWhy Real Speeds Are Lower
The converter gives the theoretical rate. In practice, every packet of data carries headers for addressing and error checking, which use a few percent of the capacity. Wi-Fi adds more loss, particularly through walls and with many devices connected. The server may be sending more slowly than your connection can receive, and other people in the home share the same line. A realistic download on a 100 Mbps plan is often 10 to 12 MB/s rather than the full 12.5.
Upload and Download
Many home connections are asymmetric: the download speed is several times the upload speed. A plan sold as 100 Mbps might upload at only 10 or 20 Mbps, which matters for video calls, cloud backups and sending large files. Convert both figures to see what each direction really delivers: 20 Mbps upload is only 2.5 MB/s.
Drives and Cables
Storage devices and connections are rated in both units. A hard drive might read at around 150 to 250 MB/s, a SATA solid-state drive at about 500 MB/s, and an NVMe drive at several GB/s. Connections such as USB and Thunderbolt are quoted in Gbps: USB 3.2 Gen 1 is 5 Gbps, about 625 MB/s before overhead, and gigabit Ethernet is 1 Gbps, 125 MB/s. The slowest link in the chain — the drive, the cable or the network — sets the real speed of a copy, however fast the other parts are.
How Much Speed Do You Need?
Different activities need very different rates. Streaming HD video takes about 5 Mbps per stream and 4K about 15 to 25 Mbps. A video call uses around 1.5 to 4 Mbps in each direction. Online gaming needs little bandwidth, often under 5 Mbps, but is sensitive to delay. The big demands come from downloads and backups: a 50 GB game on a 100 Mbps line takes over an hour, while on a gigabit line it takes about 7 minutes. Add up what everyone in a household does at the same time, then leave headroom, to judge whether a plan is fast enough.
Wi-Fi Ratings
Wi-Fi standards are advertised with headline rates such as 1,200 or 2,400 Mbps. These are theoretical maximums combining several streams under ideal conditions, and a single device typically sees a fraction of the figure — often a third to a half close to the router, and far less through walls. A wired Ethernet connection gives a more predictable speed, which is why large transfers and backups are best done on a cable.
Understanding Your Result
The headline is the converted rate.
The conversion factor shows the exact factor both ways.
The in every unit line lists the rate in all ten units.
The also line shows how long 1 GB and 100 GB take at the full rate.
When Should You Use This Calculator?
Use it to compare your internet plan's Mbps with the MB/s shown in downloads.
Use it to compare broadband plans, Wi-Fi standards and network equipment.
Use it with drive, USB and network cable speeds quoted in different units.
Use it to estimate how long backups, uploads and downloads should take.
Common Mistakes
Mixing up Mbps and MB/s. Divide Mbps by 8 for MB/s.
Expecting the full rated speed. Overhead and Wi-Fi usually take 5 to 15 percent.
Ignoring upload speed. Uploads are often far slower than downloads.
Confusing MB/s and MiB/s. Some tools show binary units, about 5 percent lower.
Adding speeds of shared devices. Several devices on one connection share its speed; they do not each get the full rate.
Blaming the connection for a slow drive. The slowest device limits the transfer.