How many megabytes per second is your speed?
Type a positive number into either field. One byte contains eight bits.
100 Mbps equals 12.5 MB/s or 0.1 Gbps.
Why does Steam or a browser show MB/s?
Internet plans label bandwidth in megabits per second. A browser, game launcher, or download manager may report the number of megabytes moving each second. Eight bits fit in one byte, so divide the plan's Mbps by eight to estimate a line-rate MB/s. The speed shown in an app is a transfer rate, not a different internet plan.
I use a pizza to remember it: picture one byte as a pizza cut into eight slices. Mbps counts slices per second; MB/s counts whole pizzas per second. For the longer version, see Internet Speed 101.
How long will a file download take?
Enter a file size and a connection speed to compare an idealized full-rate transfer with a more realistic estimate at 90% efficiency. The calculator treats MB and GB as decimal units, which makes the line-rate math easy to compare with internet plan speeds.
At 100 Mbps, a 5 GB decimal file takes about 6 minutes 40 seconds at full rate.
At 100% efficiency:
At 90% efficiency:
5 GB at 100 Mbps takes about 6 min 40 s at 100% efficiency, or about 7 min 24 s at 90%.
What is the difference between MB and MiB?
This calculator uses decimal file sizes: one MB is 1,000,000 bytes and one GB is 1,000,000,000 bytes. A MiB is 1,048,576 bytes and a GiB is 1,073,741,824 bytes. These binary prefixes are useful when a computer program counts in powers of two; the unit label tells you which number it means. The NIST guide to binary prefixes lists the decimal and binary definitions.
Which Mbps speeds are useful to compare?
| Internet speed | Equivalent file rate |
|---|---|
| 10 Mbps | 1.25 MB/s |
| 25 Mbps | 3.125 MB/s |
| 50 Mbps | 6.25 MB/s |
| 100 Mbps | 12.5 MB/s |
| 300 Mbps | 37.5 MB/s |
| 500 Mbps | 62.5 MB/s |
| 1,000 Mbps | 125 MB/s |
These are idealized decimal conversions. A real file transfer can be slower because the source server, route, Wi-Fi, protocol overhead, and other network activity all matter.
Frequently asked questions
How do I convert Mbps to MB/s?
Divide megabits per second by eight to estimate megabytes per second. The conversion works because one byte contains eight bits.
How many MB/s is 100 Mbps?
At the full line rate, 100 Mbps is 12.5 MB/s. Real download programs can show less because of network overhead, server speed, Wi-Fi, and other activity.
Why does Steam or my browser show MB/s?
Internet plans usually describe megabits per second, while file transfers often show megabytes per second. The units measure the same data using different-sized units, so divide Mbps by eight to compare.
How long does a 5 GB download take at 100 Mbps?
Using decimal units and the full link rate, the math gives about 6 minutes 40 seconds. At 90% efficiency, the estimate is about 7 minutes 24 seconds.
Is MB the same as MiB?
No. A megabyte is 1,000,000 bytes in decimal units, while a mebibyte is 1,048,576 bytes in binary units. Check the exact unit shown by the program.
Why can a real download take longer than this estimate?
The formula assumes the file source can send at that rate and your connection sustains it. Protocol overhead, Wi-Fi, congestion, device storage, and other people using the network can lower the achieved rate.
Need a household plan estimate too? Try the household speed calculator, then read what makes a speed good.