The new criterion DN for meteoroid stream identification, based on variables directly linked to observations, is applied to a set of 865 photographic meteor orbits and the results are compared with those obtained using the well-known and widely used DS criterion of Southworth & Hawkins, using thresholds for meteor association computed according to Jopek & Froeschle. For 15 streams, including the Lyrids, the α Capricornids, the Perseids, the Taurids, the Quadrantids, the Geminids, the Leonids, the Orionids and the southern δ Aquarids, the two searches are in very good agreement, with DN often adding a few more members to some streams, at the same level of statistical significance as used for DSH. The Andromedids and the σ Leonids, identified as populous streams using DSH, are not recognized using DN; on the other hand, using DN five additional streams are identified, namely the ɛ Geminids, the Monocerotids, the northern δ Aquarids and the rather populous α Virginids and ɛ Piscids. In general, DN gives results essentially equivalent to those obtained with DSH in many circumstances, the most notable exception being for near-ecliptical streams, where the results differ markedly. We show also that the reduced distance function DR can be successfully applied to search for meteor showers resulting from the same meteoroid stream; in our study the Quadrantids and the southern and northern δ Aquarid showers have been identified as possibly being originated by a single meteoroid stream.