Download Time Calculator
Estimate how long a file takes to download at a given connection speed.
Time (seconds)80.0s
Time (minutes)1.33min
Megabits to transfer8,000Mb
Download time = total megabits ÷ speed in megabits per second. The catch is units: speeds are quoted in megabits (Mbps) but files in megabytes — and 1 byte is 8 bits. So 1 MB = 8 megabits and 1 GB = 8,000 megabits. A 1 GB file over a 100 Mbps line is 8,000 ÷ 100 = 80 seconds in the ideal case. Real transfers run slower from overhead, congestion and the source server's own limits. Calculated in your browser.
Questions
Why is download time longer than I expect?
Internet speeds are advertised in megabits per second (Mbps), but files are measured in megabytes (MB) — and one byte is eight bits. A '100 Mbps' line moves about 12.5 MB per second at best, before real-world overhead slows it further.
How long to download 1 GB at 100 Mbps?
1 GB is 8,000 megabits, so at 100 Mbps it takes 8,000 ÷ 100 = 80 seconds in ideal conditions. Expect a little longer in practice.