Units Explained

Units explained

Bytes or bits?

A byte is 8 bits. Speeds are quoted both ways, which is why your "100 Mbps" plan downloads at about 12 MB/s.

You see	Unit	Typical use
12.5 MB/s	megabytes per second	Browsers, Steam, file copies
100 Mbps	megabits per second	ISPs, speed tests, router specs

Divide Mbps by 8 to get MB/s: 100 Mbps ≈ 12.5 MB/s.

Which should I pick?

• Choose bytes (MB/s) if you mostly watch downloads and file transfers.
• Choose bits (Mbps) if you want to compare against your internet plan.

The speed test always reports Mbps, because that's the industry convention.

1024 or 1000?

• Binary (1024): 1 KB = 1024 bytes. Windows Explorer and most apps count this way.
• Decimal (1000): 1 KB = 1000 bytes. ISPs, storage makers and network gear count this way.

The difference is small (about 2.4 % per step, 4.9 % at MB). If you want the meter to match your ISP's numbers exactly, pick decimal.

Label styles

Style	Bytes	Bits
Standard	B/s, KB/s, MB/s, GB/s	bps, Kbps, Mbps, Gbps
Compact	B, K, M, G	b, Kb, Mb, Gb
IEC	B/s, KiB/s, MiB/s, GiB/s	bit/s, Kibit/s, Mibit/s, Gibit/s

IEC labels make the binary multiplier explicit (KiB = 1024 bytes). Use them with the binary multiplier if you want to be precise.

Automatic vs fixed

Automatic picks the unit that keeps the number below 1000 (845 KB/s, then 1.02 MB/s). Fixed always uses the same unit, which is handy if you want to compare at a glance (0.8 MB/s, 12.4 MB/s).

Data totals

Usage totals (today, billing period, history) always use binary multiples: B, KB, MB, GB, TB.