Why is my download slower than my internet speed?

First, divide your speed by 8: 100 Mbps = 12.5 MB/s max. Then account for overhead (10-20%), server limits, and congestion. A 100 Mbps connection typically downloads at 8-11 MB/s. The ISP number is theoretical maximum, not guaranteed speed.

What's the difference between MB/s and MiB/s?

MB/s uses decimal megabytes (1 MB = 1,000,000 bytes). MiB/s uses binary mebibytes (1 MiB = 1,048,576 bytes). MiB is about 4.9% larger. 100 MB/s ≈ 95.4 MiB/s. Some systems use one, some the other—check which your application reports.

How fast do I need for streaming?

HD video (1080p): 5-10 Mbps. 4K video: 25-50 Mbps. Video calls: 2-5 Mbps. Online gaming: 3-10 Mbps (but low latency matters more). Multiple users need speeds multiplied. A 100 Mbps connection handles a typical household comfortably.

Taux de transfert de données Converter

About Data Transfer Rate Conversion

Data transfer rate (bandwidth) measures how fast data moves through a connection—critical for internet speeds, file transfers, and storage performance. Confusion often arises from the difference between bits and bytes (factor of 8), and between decimal and binary prefixes (about 5% difference). ISPs advertise in bits because larger numbers sound better; file managers show bytes because that's how files are sized.

Network speeds typically use bits per second (bps) with decimal prefixes (Mbps, Gbps). Storage speeds often use bytes per second with binary prefixes (MiB/s) in some operating systems, though MB/s is increasingly common. Understanding these differences is essential for evaluating actual performance and comparing advertised speeds to real-world throughput. Overhead from protocols (TCP/IP, file system) typically reduces usable bandwidth by 10-20%.

Our converter handles all standard data transfer rate units and clarifies the bits vs bytes and decimal vs binary distinctions.

Common Data Transfer Rate Conversions

From	To	Multiply By
Mbps	MB/s	0.125 (÷8)
MB/s	Mbps	8
Gbps	MB/s	125
Gbps	Mbps	1,000
MB/s	MiB/s	0.9537
MiB/s	MB/s	1.049
kbps	Mbps	0.001
Gbps	GiB/s	0.1164
Tbps	Gbps	1,000

Data Transfer Rate Unit Reference

Megabit per second (Mbps) – The standard unit for internet connection speeds. 1 Mbps = 1,000,000 bits/second (decimal megabit). Most consumer ISP plans are advertised in Mbps: typical ranges are 25-100 Mbps for basic, 200-500 Mbps for mid-tier, 1000+ Mbps for fiber. To estimate download speed in MB/s, divide by 8.

Gigabit per second (Gbps) – High-speed networking unit. 1 Gbps = 1,000 Mbps = 1 billion bits/second. Standard for modern fiber internet, Ethernet (1G, 10G, 100G), USB 3.x (5-20 Gbps), Thunderbolt (40 Gbps), and SSD interface specifications. A 1 Gbps connection maxes out around 125 MB/s theoretical file transfer.

Megabyte per second (MB/s) – File transfer and storage speed unit. 1 MB/s = 8 Mbps = 1,000,000 bytes/second. What download managers and file copy dialogs typically display. A decent SSD reads at 500-7000 MB/s; hard drives at 100-250 MB/s.

Mebibyte per second (MiB/s) – Binary megabytes per second using IEC prefixes. 1 MiB = 1,048,576 bytes (2²⁰). Used in some operating systems and technical contexts. 1 MiB/s ≈ 1.049 MB/s—about 5% larger. Linux often reports in MiB/s while Windows uses MB/s.

Terabit per second (Tbps) – Data center and backbone network speeds. 1 Tbps = 1,000 Gbps = 125 GB/s. Submarine cables carry 100+ Tbps; major internet exchanges handle petabits per second.

Kilobits per second (kbps) – Legacy unit from dial-up era. 1 kbps = 1,000 bps. A 56k modem was 56 kbps. Now only relevant for very low-bandwidth applications like IoT sensors or audio streams (128-320 kbps for MP3).