Internet Speed Converter
Enter an internet speed value and choose your source and target units to convert instantly between bits-per-second units (Mbps, Gbps) and bytes-per-second units (MB/s, GB/s) — a frequent point of confusion when checking download speeds.
How the Internet Speed Converter formula works
Every unit routes through bits per second as a common base, with byte-based units multiplied by 8:
value_in_bps = value × factor_of_source_unit result = value_in_bps / factor_of_target_unit
Since 1 byte = 8 bits, 1 MB/s equals 8 Mbps, not 1 Mbps — a common point of confusion.
Step-by-step calculation
- Multiply the entered value by its unit's conversion factor to get bits per second.
- Divide by the target unit's conversion factor.
- Round to a sensible number of decimal places.
Worked example
Converting a 100 Mbps internet plan to MB/s (the unit most download managers show): 100 Mbps / 8 = 12.5 MB/s — the actual maximum download speed you'd see in a browser or download manager.
Frequently asked questions
Why does my download manager show a slower number than my internet plan's advertised speed?
ISPs advertise speed in megabits per second (Mbps), while download managers and browsers typically display megabytes per second (MB/s) — since 1 byte equals 8 bits, dividing the advertised Mbps by 8 gives the roughly equivalent MB/s figure, which is why the displayed number looks much smaller.
Is Gbps internet actually 1,000x faster than Mbps internet?
Yes, by definition — 1 Gbps equals 1,000 Mbps, though real-world speeds are also affected by network conditions, device capability, and server-side limits, so the theoretical maximum isn't always what you'll experience in practice.