Data rate converter: Mbps to MB/s and back

Internet providers use bits per second. Download programs show bytes per second. This tool converts between them.

The one rule

There are 8 bits in a byte. To change megabits per second (Mbit/s, often written Mbps) into megabytes per second (MB/s), divide by 8. A 100 Mbit/s connection can move at most 12.5 MB/s, and a 1 Gbit/s connection at most 125 MB/s.

What the table shows

For the speed that you type, the table lists it in bits per second (bit/s, kbit/s, Mbit/s, Gbit/s) and in bytes per second (B/s, KB/s, MB/s, GB/s) with decimal prefixes, and in the binary units (KiB/s, MiB/s, GiB/s). Providers use decimal prefixes: 1 Mbit/s is 1,000,000 bit/s.

Why real downloads are slower than the line speed

• Overhead. Every packet carries headers for addresses and error checking.
• The server. A slow server cannot fill a fast line.
• Wi-Fi. The signal weakens with distance and walls, and many devices share it.
• Sharing. Other people and devices in your home use the same connection.
• Distance and routing. Data far away takes longer to arrive and slows down some transfers.

A fair allowance is 80 to 90 percent of the line speed on a good wired connection, and less on Wi-Fi.

Speeds you will meet

Common mistakes

1. Expecting 100 MB/s from a 100 Mbit/s line (it is 12.5).
2. Comparing a provider's Mbit/s with a download window's MB/s without converting.
3. Forgetting that upload speed is often much lower than download speed.

This is an independent guide. It is not connected with the IERS, BIPM, IANA, NIST or any company named here. Facts were read on 14 November 2026 from the sources named on each page; calculated values come from Python.