Bits vs Bytes
Network speeds are measured in bits per second (bps), while file sizes use bytes. There are 8 bits in a byte. So a 100 Mbps connection transfers 12.5 MB per second at maximum throughput.
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Converter
Type in any field to convert all units instantly.
Bits per second
bits per second
1 Kbps = 1,000 bps
1 Mbps = 1,000 Kbps
1 Gbps = 1,000 Mbps
Bytes per second
1 KB/s = 8,000 bps
1 MB/s = 8 Mbps
1 GB/s = 8 Gbps
Type in any field to convert all units instantly.
Decimal (SI)
1 KB = 1,000 B
1 MB = 1,000 KB
1 GB = 1,000 MB
1 TB = 1,000 GB
1 PB = 1,000 TB
Binary (IEC)
1 KiB = 1,024 B
1 MiB = 1,024 KiB
1 GiB = 1,024 MiB
1 TiB = 1,024 GiB
Estimated Transfer Time
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Key Facts
SI vs Binary
Hard drive manufacturers use decimal (1 GB = 1,000 MB), while operating systems historically used binary (1 GiB = 1,024 MiB). A "500 GB" drive shows as ~465 GiB in Windows.
Real-World Speeds
Actual transfer speeds are typically 60–90% of the advertised link rate due to protocol overhead, network congestion, and hardware limitations. Always test with real-world tools like iPerf.