Converter form
Use the responsive calculator grid below. Large screens show three columns, smaller screens show two, and mobile shows one.
Example data table
| Input | Primary Output | Efficiency | Packet Size | Effective Rate | 10 GB Transfer Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 100 Mbps | 12.5 MB/s | 95% | 1500 bytes | 11.875 MB/s | 14 minutes 2 seconds |
| 1 Gbps | 125 MB/s | 92% | 9000 bytes | 115 MB/s | 1 minute 27 seconds |
| 500 MiB/s | 4.194304 Gbps | 98% | 4096 bytes | 4.110418 Gbps | 20 seconds |
Formula used
Base conversion: raw bps = input value × selected unit factor
Primary output: converted value = raw bps ÷ target unit factor
Effective throughput: effective bps = raw bps × (efficiency ÷ 100)
Packet rate: packets per second = effective bps ÷ (packet size × 8)
Transfer time: seconds = total data size in bits ÷ effective bps
Decimal units use powers of 1000. Binary units use powers of 1024. Byte-based rates multiply the related bit-based unit by 8.
How to use this calculator
- Enter the throughput number you want to convert.
- Select the original unit, such as Mbps, MB/s, or MiB/s.
- Choose the primary output unit for the headline result.
- Enter an efficiency percentage to model protocol overhead.
- Optionally add packet size and transfer size for deeper estimates.
- Choose decimal places, then submit to view results and charts.
- Download the detailed conversion table as CSV or PDF.
FAQs
1. What is the difference between Mbps and MB/s?
Mbps means megabits per second. MB/s means megabytes per second. One byte equals eight bits, so 100 Mbps equals 12.5 MB/s before efficiency adjustments.
2. Why do decimal and binary units produce different numbers?
Decimal units scale by 1000. Binary units scale by 1024. Storage and memory often use binary prefixes, while network equipment and service providers usually advertise decimal throughput.
3. What does payload efficiency mean here?
Payload efficiency estimates how much of the link rate carries useful data after headers, framing, encryption, acknowledgments, or retransmissions reduce usable throughput.
4. Why include packet size in a throughput converter?
Packet size helps estimate packets per second. That matters when evaluating router load, firewall performance, and protocol processing overhead beyond simple link speed conversion.
5. Is transfer time based on raw or effective throughput?
The calculator uses effective throughput for transfer time. That usually reflects real delivery speed better than raw line rate because usable payload is lower.
6. Can I use this for WAN, LAN, and internet links?
Yes. It works for any throughput figure as long as you choose the correct units and set a realistic efficiency percentage for your environment.
7. Why does a 1 Gbps link not transfer 1 GB each second?
Because gigabits and gigabytes are different units. A 1 Gbps line equals 125 MB/s raw, and real payload speed is usually lower after overhead.
8. Does the converter replace real speed testing?
No. It standardizes units and estimates behavior. Actual performance still depends on latency, congestion, hardware limits, protocol tuning, and server responsiveness.