Calculate download time, transfer speed and data requirements for any file size and connection speed — with instant Mbps, MBps and Gbps conversions.
Enter your figures and click Calculate to see your results.
Enter the file size and unit, then your connection speed and unit — the calculator converts everything automatically.
Press the Calculate button. All results appear instantly — no page reload, no waiting.
Results appear in the panel on the right with all key values clearly labelled. Use Copy to grab the result or Download to save a text file.
Mbps (megabits per second) is used for internet connection speeds. MBps (megabytes per second) is used for file transfer and storage speeds. There are 8 bits in a byte, so 100 Mbps = 12.5 MBps. This is why downloading a 1 GB file at "100 Mbps" takes about 80 seconds, not 10 seconds.
Advertised speeds are theoretical maximums. Real-world speeds are reduced by network congestion, Wi-Fi signal strength and interference, distance from the exchange, server capacity at the destination and protocol overhead. Expect 60–80% of your plan speed under normal conditions.
Netflix recommends 25 Mbps for Ultra HD 4K. Disney+ recommends 25 Mbps and YouTube streams 4K at around 20 Mbps. For multiple simultaneous 4K streams, multiply these figures. HD (1080p) requires 5–15 Mbps per stream. Standard definition requires 3–4 Mbps.
Download Time = File Size (in bits) ÷ Speed (in bits per second). To convert MB to bits: multiply by 8 × 1,000,000. For a 500 MB file at 100 Mbps: (500 × 8,000,000) ÷ 100,000,000 = 40 seconds. This calculator handles all unit conversions automatically.
Bandwidth is the maximum rate of data transfer — how much data can flow at once (like the width of a pipe). Latency (ping) is the time delay for a single packet to travel from source to destination (like the length of the pipe). Both affect your internet experience, but in different ways: bandwidth affects download speeds, latency affects responsiveness in gaming and calls.
