Use our file transfer time calculator to calculate how long it will take your file to transfer.

GO TO THE FILE TRANSFER TIME CALCULATOR

The time it takes to transfer a file, whether it’s a download or an upload, is dependent on the size of the file and your internet speed. If you want to know in advance how long it’s going to take to upload or download, or you think that file transfers are taking too long and you want to check, you can use our file transfer time calculator.

How to use the calculator

To use our file transfer time calculator, you’ll need to know the size of the file you wish to transfer. If you’re not sure, find the file wherever it’s been saved on your computer and hover your mouse over it. A small box should appear telling you the file type and size. If not, right click the file and go to properties, where you’ll be able to see the file’s size.

You can select the unit the file size is measured in from kilobytes, megabytes, gigabytes or terabytes.

Next, enter your internet connection speed. There are a couple of things to consider here. The first being whether you’re looking at downloading a file (transferring it from elsewhere to your device) or uploading one (transferring from your device to another, eg sending the file by email). Unless you’re using fibre optic leased line connectivity, your upload speed and download speeds will not be the same (uploads will be slower, you can find out more about that here), so make sure you’re using the correct speed.

The next thing to bear in mind is that your internet connection speed may vary. A legitimate broadband provider for business will tell you exactly what speed you can expect from your service and will design their network in a way that ensures as little fluctuation as possible. If you’re unsure, err on the side of caution and enter the minimum speed guaranteed by your ISP.

You can choose to enter your internet speed in Kbps, Mbps or Gbps. As a rule of thumb, a broadband connection speed is most likely to be in Mbps, whilst a fibre optic leased line may give your speeds in the Gbps range.

What does the result tell me?

If our file transfer time calculator gives you a time that’s significantly quicker than the actual time it takes you to transfer files, you’ll want to speak to your internet service provider to ensure that you’re receiving the speeds you’re entitled to. As a business, your internet connection needs to be rock steady and reliable, so if your Internet Service Provider is unable to guarantee a stable connection and deliver the speeds you’ve been promised, perhaps it’s time to look at changing your ISP. It’s really easy to do!

If the file transfer time given matches the actual time taken but you’re finding this to be too slow, you’ll want to think about upgrading your connectivity.

We’ll help you choose connectivity that suits your business needs