Network Bandwidth & Throughput Calculator
Estimate file transfer times accounting for real-world network overhead. Converts speed (Mbps) to storage (MB) for 5G, Fiber, and Wi-Fi 6.
About
Why does a 1 Gbps internet connection never download at 125 MB/s? The answer lies in Network Overhead. Every piece of data sent over the internet is wrapped in headers (TCP/IP), frame checks, and acknowledgments. Additionally, network congestion and protocol inefficiencies often reduce real-world throughput by 6% to 15%.
This calculator bridges the gap between marketing claims and reality. It converts your ISP's speed (measured in bits) to file storage (measured in Bytes) and subtracts a configurable overhead percentage. It's designed to give you an accurate "Time to Transfer" for large assets like 100GB game downloads or 4K video streams.
Formulas
The formula for time (t) converts file size (S) to bits, divides by bandwidth (BW), and adjusts for overhead (O):
Note: 1 Byte = 8 bits. Marketing speeds are always in bits (b), while files are in Bytes (B).
Reference Data
| Connection | Adv. Speed | Real Max (approx) | 10GB File Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| DSL / ADSL | 10 Mbps | 1.1 MB/s | ~2.5 Hours |
| 4G LTE | 50 Mbps | 5.5 MB/s | ~30 Mins |
| Wi-Fi 5 (AC) | 400 Mbps | 45 MB/s | ~3.7 Mins |
| Fiber / 1GbE | 1000 Mbps | 112 MB/s | ~1.5 Mins |
| USB 3.0 / 5GbE | 5000 Mbps | 450 MB/s | ~22 Secs |
| 10GbE LAN | 10,000 Mbps | 1150 MB/s | ~9 Secs |