networks: clean up & some fixes to prepare for docs

[zramsay]

• Linked to github-issue with discussion and accepted design OR link to spec that describes this work.
• Updated all relevant documentation (docs/)
• Updated all relevant code comments
• Wrote tests
• Added entries in PENDING.md that include links to the relevant issue or PR that most accurately describes the change.
• Updated cmd/gaia and examples/

---

For Admin Use:

• Added appropriate labels to PR (ex. wip, ready-for-review, docs)
• Reviewers Assigned
• Squashed all commits, uses message "Merge pull request #XYZ: [title]" (coding standards)

[codecov]

Codecov Report

Merging #1986 into develop will not change coverage.
The diff coverage is n/a.

@@           Coverage Diff            @@
##           develop    #1986   +/-   ##
========================================
  Coverage    64.86%   64.86%           
========================================
  Files          114      114           
  Lines         6837     6837           
========================================
  Hits          4435     4435           
  Misses        2120     2120           
  Partials       282      282