Convert bandwidth between bits and bytes, across multiple scales.
Converted value
12.50Megabyte/s
Bit/s100,000,000.00
Kilobit/s100,000.00
Megabit/s100.00
Gigabit/s0.1000
Byte/s12,500,000.00
Kilobyte/s12,500.00
Megabyte/s12.50
Gigabyte/s0.0125
Bandwidth measures data transfer rate. Bits (b) are the fundamental unit; bytes (B) equal 8 bits. Use this converter to switch between different scales and notations.
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What is the Bandwidth Converter?
Bandwidth measures how much data moves through a connection per unit of time, typically expressed in bits per second (bps) or bytes per second (B/s). The converter translates between common units: bits (b), bytes (B), kilobits (kb), kilobytes (KB), megabits (Mb), megabytes (MB), gigabits (Gb), gigabytes (GB), terabits (Tb), and terabytes (TB), accounting for the 8-bit-per-byte conversion and metric (1000) or binary (1024) scaling.
How it works
Enter a value in any unit and the converter multiplies or divides by the appropriate factor to reach your target unit. For bit-to-byte conversions, divide or multiply by 8. For metric scaling, use 1000 (kilo, mega, giga, tera); for binary scaling used in some storage systems, use 1024. The tool handles both directions automatically—for example, 100 Mbps becomes 12.5 MB/s or 0.1 Gbps depending on your choice.
Examples
Input
Result
Notes
100 Mbps
12.5 MB/s
Typical home broadband: divide megabits by 8 to get megabytes per second, the unit downloads display
1 Gbps
125 MB/s
Gigabit ethernet speed: 1 billion bits ÷ 8 = 125 megabytes per second actual transfer rate
50 MB/s
400 Mbps
SSD or USB 3.0 performance: multiply bytes per second by 8 to compare against marketing specs in bits
How to use the Bandwidth Converter
Select or enter your source unit (e.g. Mbps, GB/s, Kbps) and the value you want to convert
Choose your target unit from the dropdown (e.g. MB/s, Gbps, TB/s)
The converter calculates and displays the equivalent instantly
Copy the result or use it directly in your network planning, ISP comparison, or performance estimation
Benefits
Eliminate confusion between megabits (Mbps) and megabytes (MB/s)—a 100 Mbps connection is not 100 MB/s
Compare internet speeds advertised in different units across ISPs and countries
Estimate download and upload times by converting connection speed to the bytes-per-second your files need
Verify network device specifications: routers, switches, and cards often list bandwidth in different units
Design or troubleshoot storage and server systems with correct capacity and throughput expectations
Tips & common mistakes
Common mistakes
Confusing bits per second with bytes per second: 1 byte = 8 bits, so 100 Mbps ≠ 100 MB/s
Mixing metric (1000) and binary (1024) scales without checking context: 1 MB is 1,000 KB (metric) but 1 MiB is 1024 KiB (binary)
Using gigabits per second (Gbps) when gigabytes per second (GB/s) was meant, inflating perceived speeds eightfold
Tips
Remember the 8× rule: any bandwidth in bits ÷ 8 = the same bandwidth in bytes; this is the most common conversion
When comparing ISP speeds, convert Mbps to MB/s to see realistic file download speeds—what you'll actually see in your browser or torrent client
Network equipment specs often use gigabits (Gb) and bits per second (bps); storage and file transfers use bytes (B) and bytes per second (B/s); convert to avoid over-provisioning
For large data centre or 5G planning, use terabits per second (Tbps) to simplify: 1 Tbps = 1000 Gbps = 125 GB/s
Frequently asked questions
Why is my internet speed in Mbps when I download files in MB/s?
ISPs advertise in megabits per second (Mbps) because the number is larger and sounds faster. Files are measured in megabytes (MB) per second. Divide Mbps by 8 to get your real download speed in MB/s.
What's the difference between Mbps and MBps?
Mbps is megabits per second (lowercase 'b'); MBps or MB/s is megabytes per second (uppercase 'B'). One byte is 8 bits, so MBps is always 8× larger. The same connection is 100 Mbps = 12.5 MBps.
Should I use 1000 or 1024 for unit scaling?
Use 1000 (metric) for network bandwidth—ISPs and standards bodies use decimal. Use 1024 (binary) only for storage or RAM capacity, and even then modern systems often default to metric. This converter uses metric (1000) by default.
How long will it take to download a 2 GB file on my 50 Mbps connection?
Convert 50 Mbps to bytes: 50 ÷ 8 = 6.25 MB/s. Then 2000 MB ÷ 6.25 MB/s ≈ 320 seconds or about 5.3 minutes (ignoring overhead and real-world variation).
What bandwidth do I need for 4K video streaming?
Netflix recommends 25 Mbps for 4K; YouTube suggests 35+ Mbps depending on quality. That is roughly 3–4 MB/s, which means your connection must sustain that throughput without fluctuation.
Is 1 Gbps the same as 1000 Mbps?
Yes. 1 gigabit per second (Gbps) = 1000 megabits per second (Mbps) in metric. When expressed in bytes, 1 Gbps = 125 MB/s (divide by 8).