Throughput (bps) Converter
Inputs
| Data rate | 100 Mbps |
|---|
Throughput (bps) Converter
Convert a single data rate into bits per second, kilobits, megabits, gigabits, and megabytes per second at once. See how a Mbps figure maps to the MB/s shown by a download manager.
Inputs
Data Rate
Results
Enter a value to see results.
Common Units
Full Breakdown
Throughput (bps)
A throughput converter restates one data rate in every common unit at once, so a single Mbps figure can be read directly as kbps, Gbps, or the megabytes-per-second value a download manager displays. It removes the constant friction of juggling bit rates and byte rates and the powers of ten that separate kilo, mega, and giga.
The formula
All conversions start from the rate in bits per second and scale by a fixed factor:
kbps=1000RMbps=1000000RGbps=1000000000R MB/s=8000000Rwhere is the rate in bits per second. The bit-rate units each differ by a factor of 1000. The byte-rate unit divides by an extra factor of 8, because one byte is 8 bits.
Conversion table
| Unit | Meaning | Value of 1 unit in bps |
|---|---|---|
| bps | bits per second | 1 |
| kbps | kilobits per second | 1000 |
| Mbps | megabits per second | 1,000,000 |
| Gbps | gigabits per second | 1,000,000,000 |
| MB/s | megabytes per second | 8,000,000 |
Worked example
Take a link advertised at 100 Mbps. In bits per second that is:
R=100 Mbps=100000000 bpsRestating that same rate in the other units:
kbps=1000100000000=100000 kbps Gbps=1000000000100000000=0.1 Gbps MB/s=8000000100000000=12.5 MB/sSo 100 Mbps is 0.1 Gbps and 12.5 MB/s. The byte-per-second value is one-eighth of the bit-per-second value, which is why a "100 Mbps" plan peaks near 12.5 MB/s in a download client.
Bits versus bytes
The single most common source of confusion is the lowercase "b" versus uppercase "B". A lowercase b is a bit; an uppercase B is a byte, which is 8 bits. Networking equipment and ISPs quote bit rates (Mbps, Gbps); operating systems and file tools quote byte rates (MB/s). Converting between the two families always involves the factor of 8, so a 1 Gbps link delivers at most 125 MB/s of file data before any overhead is counted.
Decimal, not binary
Transmission rates use the decimal SI convention, where each prefix step is a power of 1000: 1 Mbps is exactly 1000 kbps, and 1 Gbps is exactly 1000 Mbps. The binary prefixes kibi, mebi, and gibi (powers of 1024) belong to memory and stored file sizes, not to rates. Keeping rates strictly decimal avoids the small but compounding errors that creep in when 1000 and 1024 are mixed.
Related calculators
To turn a rate into the time a transfer will take, use the Data Transfer Time Calculator calculator, or the simpler Download Time Calculator calculator for a quick estimate. To size the bandwidth a live stream needs, see the Streaming Bandwidth Calculator calculator.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
What is the difference between a bit rate and a byte rate?
A bit rate counts individual bits per second and uses lowercase "b" (bps, kbps, Mbps, Gbps). A byte rate counts bytes per second and uses uppercase "B" (B/s, KB/s, MB/s). Since one byte equals 8 bits, any byte rate is the corresponding bit rate divided by 8. Networks and ISPs quote bit rates; file managers and storage tools quote byte rates.
Why does 100 Mbps equal 12.5 MB/s?
A megabit per second is 1,000,000 bits per second, and there are 8 bits in a byte, so 100 Mbps is 100,000,000 bits per second divided by 8, which is 12,500,000 bytes per second, or 12.5 MB/s. That is why a connection advertised as 100 Mbps tops out near 12.5 MB/s in a download manager before any protocol overhead is subtracted.
Does this use 1000 or 1024 per step?
Data rates use the decimal SI convention: 1 kbps = 1000 bps, 1 Mbps = 1000 kbps, and so on. This is the standard for networking, where kilo, mega, and giga always mean powers of 1000. The 1024-based binary prefixes (kibi, mebi, gibi) belong to memory and file sizes, not to transmission rates.
Are Mbps and MiB/s the same thing?
No. Mbps is megabits per second using powers of 1000, while MiB/s is mebibytes per second using powers of 1024 and counting bytes, not bits. They differ both by the 8-to-1 bit-versus-byte factor and by the 1000-versus-1024 base, so the two values are far apart. This converter works entirely in decimal (1000-based) rate units.