Technology guide

Technical, Network and Encoding Methods

Technical calculators often fail because units are mixed. Mbps, MB/s, GB, GiB, volts, amps and ohms are not interchangeable labels.

Bits, bytes and transfer time

Network speed is usually stated in bits per second. File size is often stated in bytes. Since 1 byte = 8 bits, a 1 GB decimal file is about 8 gigabits before protocol overhead. At an ideal 100 Mbps, that file takes about 80 seconds.

CIDR and address counts

For IPv4, a /24 network has 2^(32 - 24) = 256 raw addresses. Usable host counts can be lower when network and broadcast addresses are reserved, so calculators need to show the rule being used.

Encoding is not encryption

Base64 turns binary data into text for transport or storage. URL encoding percent-encodes characters for URLs. Neither method hides data from someone who can decode it.

Electrical examples

Ohm's law is V = I x R. A 2 amp current through 6 ohms has 12 volts across the resistance. Voltage-drop estimates need wire resistance, current and length, but real electrical work also needs local code and safety review.

Use the calculators

FAQ

Is Base64 encryption?

No. Base64 is encoding. Anyone can decode it if they have the encoded text.

Why does Mbps differ from MB/s?

Mbps means megabits per second. MB/s means megabytes per second. There are 8 bits in 1 byte.

References

Last reviewed: 2026-05-15.