METRONMETHOD. REASON. LEARN.
Everyday Lab

Estimate file download time

A file size is measured in bytes, while connection speed is commonly advertised in bits per second. Convert carefully before estimating the wait.

Your experiment

Change any value to update the result. Use the stated units.

What the numbers tell us

Enable JavaScript to calculate with your own values.

Why it works

time (s) = size (MB) × 8 / [speed (Mbps) × efficiency/100]

Assumptions and limits

Uses decimal megabytes and megabits: 1 MB = 8 Mb. Assumes constant throughput. Server limits, other traffic and protocol overhead can change real completion time. MiB is a different unit.

Try a small challenge

A 100 MB file at an effective 20 Mbps: time?
A little hint

Convert 100 megabytes to 800 megabits.

Understand the idea: Ratios and proportions →