The text explains digital storage and network speed units, highlighting the critical distinction between bits (b) and Bytes (B). It provides tables for storage units (bit to BrontoByte) using binary (1024) conversion, and network speed units (bps to Tbps) using decimal (1000) conversion. The key takeaway is the conversion between Mbps (network speed) and MB/s (download speed), which differ by a factor of 8 (MB/s = Mbps ÷ 8). Practical examples show that a 1000 Mbps connection theoretically yields 125 MB/s, but real-world speeds are typically 80-90% of that due to overhead. The text also includes a reference table for common network and interface speeds, along with quick conversion formulas.
Chinese Name
English Unit
Abbreviation
Conversion from Previous
Equals (Bytes)
Bit
bit
b
—
1/8 Byte (0.125B)
Byte
Byte
B
8 bit
1
Kilobyte
KiloByte
KB
1024 B
2^10
Megabyte
MegaByte
MB
1024 KB
2^20
Gigabyte
GigaByte
GB
1024 MB
2^30
Terabyte
TeraByte
TB
1024 GB
2^40
Petabyte
PetaByte
PB
1024 TB
2^50
Exabyte
ExaByte
EB
1024 PB
2^60
Zettabyte
ZettaByte
ZB
1024 EB
2^70
Yottabyte
YottaByte
YB
1024 ZB
2^80
Brontobyte
BrontoByte
BB
1024 YB
2^90
bit vs Byte: Capitalization Matters
Lowercase bb (bit): the smallest unit of information, representing a single binary 0 or 1.
Uppercase BB (Byte): the fundamental unit for processing data in computers; 1 Byte = 8 bit. A single English character typically occupies 1B, while a Chinese character occupies 2B.
The core difference between network speed and storage units is: network speeds use decimal (base-1000) by default, whereas storage capacity in operating systems mostly uses binary (base-1024).
1. Basic Unit Conversion (Decimal)
Unit
English
Abbreviation
Conversion
Bit per second
bit per second
bps
Base unit
Kilobit per second
Kilobit per second
Kbps / kb/s
1 Kbps = 1,000 bps
Megabit per second
Megabit per second
Mbps / Mb/s
1 Mbps = 1,000 Kbps = 1,000,000 bps
Gigabit per second
Gigabit per second
Gbps / Gb/s
1 Gbps = 1,000 Mbps = 1,000,000,000 bps
Terabit per second
Terabit per second
Tbps / Tb/s
1 Tbps = 1,000 Gbps
2. The Most Common Conversion Mistake: Mbps vs MB/s
This is the biggest misconception in everyday use — the two differ by a full factor of 8:
Speed Unit
Common Name
Converted to MB/s (Download Speed)
100 Mbps
100 Meg broadband
12.5 MB/s
200 Mbps
200 Meg broadband
25 MB/s
500 Mbps
500 Meg broadband
62.5 MB/s
1000 Mbps (1 Gbps)
Gigabit broadband
125 MB/s
Conversion formula: MB/s = Mbps ÷ 8 (because 1 Byte = 8 bit; speed is measured in bits, while download tools display Bytes)
Real-world note: due to network overhead, router performance, signal attenuation, and other factors, actual download speed usually reaches only 80%–90% of the theoretical value. For example, on a gigabit broadband connection, a stable download speed of around 100–110 MB/s is considered normal.
3. Speed Reference for Different Scenarios
Scenario
Typical Speed
Converted Download Speed
Notes
5G Network
1–2 Gbps
125–250 MB/s
Theoretical peak; heavily affected by signal conditions in practice
Gigabit Fiber Broadband
1000 Mbps
125 MB/s
Ceiling for home broadband
100 Meg Fiber Broadband
100 Mbps
12.5 MB/s
Entry-level standard for most households today
Wi-Fi 5 (802.11ac)
~433–693 Mbps
~54–86 MB/s
Theoretical single-stream rate
Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax)
~600–2400 Mbps
~75–300 MB/s
Significant improvement, but limited by client devices
Chinese Name
English Unit
Abbreviation
Conversion from Previous
Equals (Bytes)
Bit
bit
b
—
1/8 Byte (0.125B)
Byte
Byte
B
8 bit
1
Kilobyte
KiloByte
KB
1024 B
2^10
Megabyte
MegaByte
MB
1024 KB
2^20
Gigabyte
GigaByte
GB
1024 MB
2^30
Terabyte
TeraByte
TB
1024 GB
2^40
Petabyte
PetaByte
PB
1024 TB
2^50
Exabyte
ExaByte
EB
1024 PB
2^60
Zettabyte
ZettaByte
ZB
1024 EB
2^70
Yottabyte
YottaByte
YB
1024 ZB
2^80
Brontobyte
BrontoByte
BB
1024 YB
2^90
bit vs Byte: Capitalization Matters
The core difference between network speed and storage units is: network speeds use decimal (base-1000) by default, whereas storage capacity in operating systems mostly uses binary (base-1024).
1. Basic Unit Conversion (Decimal)
Unit
English
Abbreviation
Conversion
Bit per second
bit per second
bps
Base unit
Kilobit per second
Kilobit per second
Kbps / kb/s
1 Kbps = 1,000 bps
Megabit per second
Megabit per second
Mbps / Mb/s
1 Mbps = 1,000 Kbps = 1,000,000 bps
Gigabit per second
Gigabit per second
Gbps / Gb/s
1 Gbps = 1,000 Mbps = 1,000,000,000 bps
Terabit per second
Terabit per second
Tbps / Tb/s
1 Tbps = 1,000 Gbps
2. The Most Common Conversion Mistake: Mbps vs MB/s
This is the biggest misconception in everyday use — the two differ by a full factor of 8:
Speed Unit
Common Name
Converted to MB/s (Download Speed)
100 Mbps
100 Meg broadband
12.5 MB/s
200 Mbps
200 Meg broadband
25 MB/s
500 Mbps
500 Meg broadband
62.5 MB/s
1000 Mbps (1 Gbps)
Gigabit broadband
125 MB/s
Real-world note: due to network overhead, router performance, signal attenuation, and other factors, actual download speed usually reaches only 80%–90% of the theoretical value. For example, on a gigabit broadband connection, a stable download speed of around 100–110 MB/s is considered normal.
3. Speed Reference for Different Scenarios
Scenario
Typical Speed
Converted Download Speed
Notes
5G Network
1–2 Gbps
125–250 MB/s
Theoretical peak; heavily affected by signal conditions in practice
Gigabit Fiber Broadband
1000 Mbps
125 MB/s
Ceiling for home broadband
100 Meg Fiber Broadband
100 Mbps
12.5 MB/s
Entry-level standard for most households today
Wi-Fi 5 (802.11ac)
~433–693 Mbps
~54–86 MB/s
Theoretical single-stream rate
Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax)
~600–2400 Mbps
~75–300 MB/s
Significant improvement, but limited by client devices
USB 2.0
480 Mbps
60 MB/s
Actual: ~30–40 MB/s
USB 3.0
5 Gbps
625 MB/s
Actual: ~400–500 MB/s
Bluetooth 5.0
2 Mbps
0.25 MB/s
Suitable for audio and small file transfers
4. Quick Conversion Cheat Sheet
What You Want to Convert
How to Calculate
Example
Mbps → MB/s
Divide by 8
500 Mbps ÷ 8 = 62.5 MB/s
MB/s → Mbps
Multiply by 8
50 MB/s × 8 = 400 Mbps
Mbps → Kbps
Multiply by 1000
100 Mbps × 1000 = 100,000 Kbps