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EC2 Network Throughput Calculator

Model an EC2 transfer across burst and baseline network bandwidth, with protocol overhead, to get a real transfer time.

About EC2 Network Throughput Calculator

Smaller EC2 instance types advertise an 'up to' network figure funded by a credit bucket and a much lower sustained baseline. Any transfer long enough to drain the bucket therefore runs in two phases, and the average throughput lands between the two rates — often far closer to the baseline. The efficiency factor accounts for headers, TLS and acknowledgements, which never let you reach the raw line rate. Sizing a migration or backup window off the 'up to' number is the single most common EC2 network planning error, and it can be an order of magnitude optimistic on a small instance.

Formula

EC2 Network Throughput

MB/s = Gbps × 125 × efficiency; transfer time = burst window + remaining bytes ÷ baseline rate once credits are spent.

125
Conversion from Gbps to MB/s (1000 ÷ 8)
burst
Credit-funded 'up to' bandwidth on the instance type
baseline
Rate the instance sustains after credits run out

Worked example

With the default values below, EC2 Network Throughput Calculator returns Transfer Time of 517.7. Change any input above and every figure here is recalculated in your browser.

Inputs used

Burst network bandwidthaccepts 0–400 Gbps
12.5 Gbps
Sustained baseline bandwidthaccepts 0–400 Gbps
0.75 Gbps
Burst duration availableaccepts 0–1,440 minutes
30 minutes
Data to transferaccepts 0–10,000,000 GB
5,000 GB
Protocol and encryption efficiencyaccepts 10–100 %
90 %

Results

Transfer Time
517.7 minutes
Effective Burst Rate
1,406 MB/s
Effective Baseline Rate
84 MB/s
Moved While Bursting
2,531.3 GB
Average Throughput Achieved
1.29 Gbps
Burst Credit Verdict
Exhausts burst credits and falls back to the baseline rate

Step by step

  1. 1Values used
  2. 2EC2 Network Throughput
  3. 3Transfer Time= 517.7 minutes
  4. 4Effective Burst Rate= 1,406 MB/s
  5. 5Effective Baseline Rate= 84 MB/s
  6. 6Moved While Bursting= 2,531.3 GB
  7. 7Average Throughput Achieved= 1.29 Gbps
  8. 8Burst Credit Verdict= Exhausts burst credits and falls back to the baseline rate

Assumptions and limits

  • The result is derived only from the 5 inputs listed above. Anything not among them is not part of the calculation.
  • In particular, this calculator does not take inflation, tax or compounding frequency into account.
  • Figures are rounded for display to 2 decimal places, so totals built from several rounded parts can differ slightly from the unrounded arithmetic.

How these calculators are built and tested is described on the Methodology page. If a figure looks wrong, please report it.

Frequently Asked Questions

How is EC2 Network Throughput calculated?

MB/s = Gbps × 125 × efficiency; transfer time = burst window + remaining bytes ÷ baseline rate once credits are spent. Smaller EC2 instance types advertise an 'up to' network figure funded by a credit bucket and a much lower sustained baseline. Any transfer long enough to drain the bucket therefore runs in two phases, and the average throughput lands between the two rates — often far closer to the baseline. The efficiency factor accounts for headers, TLS and acknowledgements, which never let you reach the raw line rate.

Why does EC2 Network Throughput matter?

Sizing a migration or backup window off the 'up to' number is the single most common EC2 network planning error, and it can be an order of magnitude optimistic on a small instance.

What values do I need to enter?

This calculator takes 5 inputs: Burst network bandwidth, Sustained baseline bandwidth, Burst duration available, Data to transfer, Protocol and encryption efficiency. The pre-filled defaults are a realistic starting point — replace them with figures from your own environment for a result you can act on.

Which instance types have a sustained rate instead of a burst?

Generally the larger sizes: types at 4xlarge and above (and anything advertising a plain Gbps figure without 'up to') hold their rated bandwidth continuously. If a transfer window is critical, size up or split the transfer across instances.

Related Calculators

EC2 Network Throughput Calculator – Calculate Transfer Time