In one embodiment, a method comprises first causing, by a controller device, wireless access points (APs) to allocate first non-interfering wireless channels for a prescribed reliable data service for wireless client devices in a WLAN; second causing the wireless APs to allocate a second shared channel having a bandwidth that is at least twice the corresponding bandwidth of any of the first non-interfering wireless channels; allocating for each wireless client device a corresponding location service interval on the second shared channel for transmission of at least a corresponding identifiable wireless data unit for locating the corresponding wireless client device between two or more of the wireless APs; and determining a location of at least one of the wireless client devices based on reception of at least the corresponding wireless data unit between the one wireless client device and the two or more wireless APs during the corresponding location service interval.