Bandwidth Calculator · Practical guide
Mbps to MB per Second Converter
Internet plans are sold in megabits; downloads are shown in megabytes. Dividing by 8 converts between them.
At a glance
The Conversion
Divide Mbps by 8 to get MB/s. A 100 Mbps connection downloads at 12.5 MB/s; gigabit fiber at 1,000 Mbps delivers 125 MB/s. To go the other way, multiply MB/s by 8. The calculator above shows both rates (and Gbps) for any speed you enter.
Interactive tool
Bandwidth Calculator
Enter your own values, then compare the result with the examples below.
Results
Conversion Table
| Megabits per Second (Mbps) | Megabytes per Second (MB/s) | Time to Download 1 GB |
|---|---|---|
| 10 Mbps | 1.25 MB/s | 13 m 39 s |
| 25 Mbps | 3.125 MB/s | 5 m 28 s |
| 50 Mbps | 6.25 MB/s | 2 m 44 s |
| 100 Mbps | 12.5 MB/s | 1 m 22 s |
| 500 Mbps | 62.5 MB/s | 16 s |
| 1,000 Mbps (1 Gbps) | 125 MB/s | 8 s |
Why Two Units Exist
Networking has always counted in bits (lowercase b), while storage and file sizes count in bytes (uppercase B) — and one byte is exactly 8 bits. Internet providers advertise Mbps because the number looks bigger, but your browser and operating system report download progress in MB/s. Neither is wrong; they are simply different rulers.
Reading Your Speed Test
If a speed test says 94 Mbps and your download manager shows 11.2 MB/s, nothing is wrong: 94 ÷ 8 = 11.75 MB/s, and the small gap is protocol overhead. As a quick check, your real-world MB/s figure should land at 80-95% of your plan's Mbps divided by 8 — much lower than that points to Wi-Fi limitations or a bottleneck elsewhere.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is 100 Mbps the same as 100 MB/s?
No. 100 Mbps equals 12.5 MB/s. You would need an 800 Mbps connection to actually download at 100 MB/s.
How do I convert Gbps to MB/s?
Multiply Gbps by 1,000 to get Mbps, then divide by 8. So 1 Gbps = 125 MB/s and 2.5 Gbps = 312.5 MB/s.
Why do providers advertise Mbps instead of MB/s?
Convention — network hardware and standards have always been rated in bits per second. The larger number is also friendlier marketing, but the unit itself is standard practice.
Does the 8:1 ratio ever change?
No, 1 byte is always 8 bits. What changes in the real world is overhead: actual transfers typically run 10-20% slower than the raw conversion suggests.